Rose Lupin and the Goblet of Fire
by Susie-Draegalia
Summary: The next part of Rose Lupin's story, this takes place during GoF. Goes more off-canon than Rose Lupin: PoA. Her life takes twists and turns. With private tutoring and morning sickness, mischief and death munchers, and this is the result. Same pairings
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

As promised, the first chapter of the threequel!

I had really intended to upload this earlier, so I'm sorry for that. At least I had prepared you for a few hours longer -.-

Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter :(

* * *

"So, this is it," I announced, smiling as I stepped over the threshold of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "Remus! Sirius! We're here!"

"Foxy!"

Needless to say, I smacked Sirius in the shoulder. He nursed his 'wound' as I looked behind him to see Remus emerge from the kitchen with Kreacher.

"Ouch..."

"Get a hold of yourself, Sirius. Honestly, I didn't think Azkaban would make you that much of a wimp," I smirked. The former convict grimaced at the reminder. "Oh, relax."

"This is your house?" Harry asked, his eyes going up the stairs. I followed his eyes. The Black home looked very different after receiving care from both Kreacher and me. The dust was gone, as was almost all of the green. The snakes on the chandeliers were altered to look much less sinister, the gas lamps traded out for electric.

The wooden staircase was now lined with a royal blue carpet that matched the altered wallpaper. The spot where Mrs. Black had hung showed no evidence of the fact, something I was very proud of.

"My house. I grew up here," Sirius answered Harry, his tone darkening slightly before brightening again. "I like what you did to the place, Rosie." Earning a halfhearted smack.

"What was it like before?"

"Horrible. All green and silver, coated with two inches of dust, and rather depressing. There was a portrait of Sirius' mum here," I said, gesturing to the section of wall. "And she'd scream at anyone that came in here."

"How'd you get rid of her? I tried everything I could think of; the bloody woman charmed it to stick," Sirius complained good-naturedly.

"Easy. I cut the wallpaper out. The charm only held the painting on the wallpaper. The only thing keeping the wallpaper on the wall was glue," I shrugged. While Sirius muttered at his own stupidity, I led Harry upstairs, pointing out the various rooms.

"There are a couple of rooms you want to avoid, like Sirius' mum's. I didn't think it'd be polite to throw out the portrait, so she's in there, screaming her head off every time someone opens the door," I warned.

"Drawing room, guest room, guestroom, linen closet, my and Remus' room, Sirius' room," I continued, pointing at doors before stopping at one. "This is your room. I did some work in there, but you can do whatever you want with it. If you want to do anything serious, just tell someone.

"By the way, I need to introduce you to someone. Kreacher?" I called, leaning against the door to Harry's room. A loud _crack_ filled the air and the house elf appeared beside me.

"Professor?" He bowed his head politely. I smiled.

"Harry, meet Kreacher. Kreacher this is Harry Potter, my sister's son," I introduced.

"Hello, Kreacher," Harry said politely. I smiled, remembering that Kreacher wasn't the first house elf Kreacher had met.

"Pleasure to meet you, Master Harry," Kreacher bowed his head again. Harry's hand scratched the back of his head and he chuckled.

"Just call me Harry." Kreacher nodded again, accepting the request. He turned to me.

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes," he informed me. I nodded.

"Thank you, Kreacher."

He Disapparated with another _crack._

"Alright," I said, twisting the door handle and pushing the door open.

I based the general design off of his room at the Dursleys. The room itself was a little bigger, and lit mainly by the window across from the door. The layout was similar to his old room; a desk lay set up under a bookshelf built into the wall, his bed in the center of the room. There was a dark wood dresser in the corner opposite the bed. A perch for Hedwig hung by the window.

I made drastic changes to the color scheme, changing the greens to reds and the silver to gold. The comforter dressing his bed was red and emblazed with a lion that was eating a vibrant green snake.

"Go ahead and unpack. I'll be downstairs if you need me," I told my nephew. He nodded absentmindedly, pulling his trunks into the room.

After the school year ended, and Harry and I had sufficiently terrorized my older sister and her husband, we went back to Little Whinging with them, so Harry could collect his belongings. He didn't have much aside from school supplies and robes, so packing up didn't take much time after I assured Harry that we'd go shopping for clothes that actually fit him.

I shut the door behind me and descended the stairs, heading straight for the kitchen. I opened the swinging door and saw Remus and Sirius sitting at the table, talking.

"So, how does he like it?" Sirius asked, a touch of anxiety in his voice. I smiled.

"I think he expects us to ship him back to Dursley. I think he'll be fine as long as we don't act around him. He's in uncharted territory, especially with you, Sirius. He's at least had the year to get used to Remus and myself."

Both nodded, accepting my judgment.

"Oh, I went by Gringotts today," Sirius said out of the blue. "Kreacher officially belongs to you."

"Great. No trouble in Diagon Alley?"

"Not too much. Spotted Lucius Malfoy; didn't seem too pleased to see me," he reported, a sly grin on his face. I rolled my eyes.

"Just let him have his fun," Remus advised me, teasing in his eyes. The joke was lost on Sirius. I smiled sadly as an image- a memory- came to the surface of my mind.

It was so different but so similar. During our years at Hogwarts, we'd always gather around the coffee table in the common room to plan our next prank. There was a specific order to how we sat: James, myself, Remus, Sirius, then Peter. Always.

Now, without James or even the rat, the formation felt a little empty.

"Just like old times," I murmured to my husband. He glanced at how we were sitting- myself, then he, then Sirius- and nodded to me as Sirius continued talking.

I jumped back into the conversation until I noticed Harry come in quietly and sit beside me, startling me slightly. I recovered quickly, telling myself to look at his eyes, and smiled at my nephew.

"Hey, kid," I greeted. "Do you like your room?"

"It's great, thanks," he said honestly.

"Glad you like it." I smiled at the teenager. "I was thinking that we could go clothes shopping tomorrow, if you don't mind coming with me to the Auror's Office."

"The Auror's Office?" Sirius asked curiously. I nodded.

"I have some friends I'd like you to meet. A bit quirky, but that comes with the job. Most Aurors have something that makes them different, it helps them cope with the job."

"Who do you want him to see?" Remus asked. I looked back at my husband.

"I was thinking Tonks, Shannon, and Mad-Eye."

"You're taking him to Mad-Eye? That man's a nutter!" Sirius snorted. I leaned over the table and flicked him on the temple.

"He's also one of the best Aurors that ever came out of the Ministry. He's doing everyone in the Wizarding World a favor by staying on as long as he did to train the fresh meat. Also, Dumbledore's been dropping hints at who he's gotten to be the next DADA professor."

"You're not teaching again?" Harry asked me. I chuckled.

"Dumbledore and I decided that it's better if I just assist, not be the sole teacher. There have been rumors flying around that job for years. They've needed to replace the teacher just about every year. If it really is a curse, I'll be protected from it and be able to help out around the school."

"What do you mean, cursed?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Look at yourself. One of your teachers died, another lost his memory, and the last resigned after being found to be a werewolf. That's normal for a DADA professor at Hogwarts. Each year, something terrible happens to the teacher, something bad enough to get him out of Hogwarts. Occasionally there's someone lucky that survives the year without anything _really_ bad happening, but if they stay for the next, they're gone by the end of term," Remus explained.

"...So who's the next professor?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but Mad-Eye seems to be in the running."

"Really? _That_ is gonna teach children? God, Rosie, I hope nothing bad happens to you, otherwise those kids are dead," Sirius said, his tone dark. I flicked him in the temple again.

"I told you not to call me that," I complained. "Anyway, do you mind coming with me to the Auror's Office, Harry? It's up to you."

"I don't mind," he shrugged. Kreacher walked up to us and asked us to wash up for dinner.

When dinner was over, I pulled Harry aside.

"Harry, what do you know about underage magic?"

"Um... Don't do it?" he summarized. I chuckled.

"Personally, I don't believe in limiting underage magic to everyone. For example, Hermione should be someone who can use her magic freely. She understands why the laws are in place and understands the risks. Fred and George Weasley...? Not so much. I just wanted to let you know that if you use magic in this house, the Ministry won't know about it. The trace- the enchantment they use to see if you are using magic- only applies in areas that are generally devoid of other magical beings. With you living with Remus, Sirius, and I, the Ministry won't be able to tell your magic from ours', so they won't punish you for it."

"Why's it like that? Couldn't they set up a spell that only traces one person's magic?"

"They probably could, but it would be more difficult to cast. So, they just warn all kids not to use their magic after they get a wand. Those who live without other witches and wizards are punished by the Ministry while they expect wizarding parents to keep their kids in line."

"That seems a bit unfair."

"It is. I don't believe in it. That's why I'm telling you, it is okay to use your magic around here, especially if you're studying. Now, off to bed. Busy day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Rose," Harry said, turning to the stairs.

"Night, Harry," I said, yawning before heading for my own bed.

* * *

A/N:

Simple chapter. A bit short, but not too bad for a prologue-ish beginning.

Yes, Rose doesn't have any qualms about underage magic. After what Harry's been through, I think he's not going to go out and hex random strangers on the street. Said underaged magic will not actually be seen, just mentioned.

Hope you liked the first chapter!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:

Sorry for the long wait. More in the post-chapter A/N

I don't own HP

* * *

With our recent purchases safely shrunken and stored, I led Harry to the Ministry of Magic's guest entrance. He looked warily at the telephone box but obediently stepped inside. I grabbed the receiver, dialing MAGIC.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Rose Lupin and Harry Potter, visiting Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, and Shannon Re at the Auror Office."

"Thank you," the feminine voice said as I finished speaking. "Please take the badges and attach it to the front of your robes."

There was a click and a rattle and two square silver badges naming us as _Rose Lupin, Visitor_ and _Harry Potter, Visitor_ slid out of the coin chute. I pinned the badge onto my shirt and motioned for Harry to do the same.

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk located at the far end of the Atrium."

The telephone box shuddered and the interior began to sink into the pavement like an elevator. After a minute, the slow elevator came to a stop, the light from the artificial windows temporarily blinding me.

"The Ministry wishes you a pleasant day," the voice said as the telephone box door swung open.

I led Harry through the Atrium, going through the motions. Once our wands were registered, I guided him towards the Auror Office. Stopping briefly, I glanced back to make sure he was following me and not staring up at the fountain.

"Brush your hair over your scar." I ordered. He obeyed a little hesitantly, combing his hair into his eyes with his fingers. When his scar was sufficiently covered, I nodded and pulled him through the office, heading for Shannon's desk first.

"Hey, Re," I greeted. She glanced up at me, grumbling a hello, before her hands froze on her desk and she looked up slowly.

"Harry?" she asked quietly, looking into his eyes. Harry looked a little self-conscious, growing visibly awkward when Shannon stepped away from her desk and gave him a hug. "Oh my God, you got so big!"

"Harry, meet Shannon Re. She was your mother's best friend back in Hogwarts," I explained briefly as Shannon released her friend's son.

"Hey, I was your friend too!" Shannon protested, looking at me. I chuckled. "Besides, Lily was probably closer with Alice, anyway."

"Alice?" Harry asked, confused. I nodded once.

"Neville's mum. And no, the three of you were inseparable. And insufferable quite a bit of the time."

"Yeah, but you loved us all," Shannon continued. I laughed.

"Not when you started dating Sirius. Ugh, bad memories," I shuddered. Harry looked equally uncomfortable. "Anyway, I gotta go. I still need to introduce Harry to Tonks and Mad-Eye."

"Good luck with Mad-Eye," Shannon said, her voice growing soft. "He's been strange lately. Well, stranger than usual," she corrected as I raised an eyebrow.

"He's probably just had a rough day," I reasoned. She shrugged before returning to her work.

"Just go. And come back soon," she insisted. I rolled my eyes again before leading Harry away.

"She was...-" Harry seemed at a loss for words.

"I know. She's a lot of fun, though. Oh, a word of advice, don't mention Quidditch to her. She'll talk circles around you, trust me. Oh, Tonks!" I called. The young Auror, who had decided to have her hair long and purple today, looked up from her desk, smiling when she saw me.

"Wotcher," she greeted. Her eyes moved behind me, catching sight of Harry.

"Harry, I want you to meet Tonks. She's the Auror I met last Christmas," I explained. "Tonks, meet Harry."

"Hey, Harry," she greeted, her hair grew short, turning a vibrant red and catching Harry by surprise.

"Harry, Tonks is a Metamorphmagus. She can change her appearance at will to whatever she wants," I explained, smiling. Tonks' hair resorted to her normal bubblegum pink and she stuck her hand out to Harry.

"Nice to meet you," she grinned. Harry accepted her hand, shaking it. I glanced around the Office.

"Hey, is Mad-Eye around?"

"No... He's been weird the last few days. I tripped over his chair the other day and he didn't yell or growl or _anything_," Tonks exaggerated. I hummed.

"That's not good... I hope he's back to growling soon. Don't tell anyone but rumor has it that he's teaching DADA with me next year." Tonks' eyes widened.

"Dumbledore trusts him with kids? God, I feel bad for you," she said sympathetically to Harry before looking at me. I chuckled.

"Did you forget? Mad-Eye actually likes me," I grinned. Tonks scowled playfully. I looked up, my eyes catching sight of Scrimgeour, heading in our general direction, and sighed. "Gotta go, I don't want Scrimgeour to see me."

"He's not that bad!" Tonks shouted as I grabbed Harry and ran for it.

* * *

"So how many people do you avoid here?" Harry asked, amused, after I dragged him away from Fudge. I sighed.

"Only two... Damn it- Umbridge! Make that three!"

* * *

A/N:

Sorry about the long wait.

Because of how long it's been since my last update and the shortness of this chapter, I've decided to update twice today. Don't get too excited: I can't promise that this will happen like this. Also, don't expect a speedy follow-up. I may or may not have bronchitis. Whatever it is, it's really gross and meds don't effect it too much :(

-.- Susie *cough cough*


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Warning! This is the second update of the night, so if you haven't already, go back to chapter 2! Thank you~

I don't own anything but Rosie

* * *

Summer went by quickly. We settled into a routine very quickly: we'd all have breakfast together and Remus and Sirius would generally stay in the house while Harry and I would go to Diagon Alley or to the Ministry. Sirius didn't think it was a good idea for me to bring him to the Ministry as often as I did but I thought that it was better for him to know people and get used to the layout in case he ever needed to. As Mad-Eye says, "Constant vigilance." And as I say, "Know your enemy." Knowing how the Ministry worked was just another step, especially if Fudge got carried away with his power.

I successfully got tickets for Remus, Sirius, Harry, and I for the World Cup, which was coming up. The Irish National Team and I go way back, something that was reflected in the tickets I got with a letter from Daniel Troy, chaser. I got one of my older possessions out of the very bottom of my bag: a tent that I had used twice, once on a Marauder camping trip and once after Remus was injured defending me from a pack of werewolves. Both were very long stories.

The tent's history out of the way, I set it in an unused room to let it air out and to finish really unpacking my bag for the first time in years. After being on the move so often, I had gotten used to carrying everything I needed. Now that I had a stable living space, I could finally clean out my shoulder bag- a very daunting task.

Taking out the numerous sketchbooks I had collected over the years, I hung a number of the sketches onto the walls of a third floor room that I had claimed as my office. With the sketchbooks out of the way, I filled the shelves of my office with the random books I had picked up. It was an alarming number, one that Hermione would be proud of.

I went back and forth from my room to my office, unpacking everything worth saving and throwing out everything that wasn't. When I was finally done, I sat down at my office chair with a sigh.

"I didn't know you had this much stuff," Remus laughed at the door. I looked at him, yawning.

"Neither did I... Kind of piles up when you don't run out of space," I said, my voice softer than I had intended. Remus smiled, walking up to me. He reached for my hand, pulling me up and leading me back to our room.

* * *

Thanks to our ability to Apparate- and Harry's familiarity with Side-Along-Apparation- we could all sleep in late, something that everyone appreciated, including myself. Our plan was to meet the Weasleys and Hermione at the camping grounds, where we had booked adjoining sites.

When the time came to leave, I packed only what I needed and rolled the tent up carefully, sliding it into my new bag. After emptying my shoulder bag out, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and trade in my tired old shoulder bag for a new backpack-like purse, charmed like my old one to hold a near limitless amount of stuff. It was easier to carry around all the time, and stayed out of my way when I needed it to.

We stepped out onto the sidewalk, unable to Disapparate inside due to the enchantments cast by the previous Black owners, and Harry and I watched as first Remus, then Sirius, turned on the spot and disappeared with a _crack_. I grabbed Harry's hand before following suit, Apparating to the woods near the camping grounds.

Remus and Sirius were waiting for us, and we left together to face a greeter. I kept my face neutral as the man, a Muggle, seemed relieved to know that I knew how to use the 'normal' monetary system. He gave us a map and my change before turning to help the next group. We made our way to the spot circled on the map, only to see that the Weasleys had just arrived.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione shouted in unison, running to greet their friend. I smiled, keeping my pace as I walked to the bare site. I let the three friends have their reunion, and let Harry introduce himself to the older Weasley boys, while I guided Arthur through setting up the tents.

"So this pole goes... here?" he asked from the other side. I corrected his error before the material could twist itself incorrectly, laughing with Arthur as he embraced his mistake.

* * *

When the tents were up, we stepped back to appreciate our handiwork. Even with Arthur's 'help', Hermione, Harry, and I got the three tents up successfully. It helped that Harry had helped me pitch our tent back at Grimmauld Place when I let it air out, so he was already familiar with the 'sticks and stabby-things', as the poles and stakes were nicknamed by Arthur Weasley.

Once the tents were set, Hermione looked on skeptically as Arthur stooped to look into the first, larger tent that he had brought.

"It's a good thing you brought a tent, Rose. We wouldn't have enough room if you didn't," his voice announced from inside the tent as he walked inside.

Hermione and the boys followed Arthur into the tent curiously and I walked in behind them, leaving Sirius and Remus to establish a sleeping arrangement for our tent.

"We'll need water," Arthur said, lifting a dusty kettle from the kitchen. Hermione, having never been inside a charmed tent, looked around, amazed at the space.

"There's a tap marked on the map the Muggle gave us," Ron reported, unaffected by the size of the living room he now stood in. "It's on the other side of the field."

"Why don't you, Harry, and Hermione go get us some water, then?" I asked the young redhead. "You might see some people you know from school."

"And we can get firewood," Sirius said cheerfully after the three had left.

"NO!"

I looked at Remus, who shrunk back sheepishly.

"I... Bad memories," Remus said in explanation. Sirius, apparently less scarred by whatever trauma that affected my husband, was quick to explain.

"Do you remember, fifth year, when we wouldn't let you into our dorm?" he asked. Of course I did remember; it made planning pranks a lot more difficult, especially since boys weren't allowed in the girl's dormitory. Not that that would have made a difference; Lily still hated James at that point.

"Sure," I said, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach as Sirius grinned _that_ grin. The grin that screamed, "Yeah, I got caught. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"It wasn't because it got weird when you and Remus started-"

"Sirius lit the dorm on fire," Remus interrupted. I went through a short series of emotions before I settled on amusement, my eyes finding Percy Weasley's scandalized expression.

"Fair enough," I chuckled. "But we do have an oven; wouldn't it be easier to-"

"Rose!" Sirius tutted.

"Anti-Muggle security," Arthur reminded me. "Besides, when real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors!"

I couldn't deny the enthusiasm in the man's voice. So, I gave in, knowing that it'd be easier to prevent an accident if I was watching the scene unfold.

* * *

After wrestling the matches from Arthur, I set the fire and lit the tinder sitting in the center of the log cabin with a single match, tossing in the six, seven, eight matches Arthur had murdered in his attempts of creating a flame.

I surrounded the central fire with a layer of logs, letting the flames eat their way through the dry wood, getting hotter by the minute.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned, we were already starting to set for lunch, seeing as the Weasleys and Hermione hadn't eaten yet. Bill, Charlie, and Percy showed up just as the food was served.

We were only halfway done when Arthur jumped up, waving madly to a man that I recognized as Ludo Bagman, a likeable but nearsighted sort of man that was, if I was not mistaken, the current Head of Magical Games and Sports.

"The man of the moment! Ludo!" Arthur called, waving the retired Quidditch player to our small cluster of tents. He was dressed for the event in his Wimbourne Wasps uniform, which seemed just a bit too small for his rounded stomach.

"Ahoy there!" he responded happily. He bounced on his heels as he walked towards our group. "Arthur, old man, what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming... and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements... Not much for me to do, eh?"

The Ministry wizards tiredly darting to and fro behind him showed disagreements on their faces but did not bring attention to themselves, instead rushing to a magical fire that seemed content to release violet sparks twenty feet in the air. Percy, however, decided to make the most of this opportunity and rush the Department Head with his hand outstretched.

"Ah. Yes, this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry. This is Fred- no, George, sorry- _that's_ Fred- Bill, Charlie, Ron, my daughter Ginny, Ron's friends Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

"Leaving me out, Arthur?" I laughed before Ludo's eyes could search Harry's bangs for the legendary scar. "It's good to see you again, Ludo. It's been too long."

"Rose Lupin? I haven't seen you in years," Ludo said, shaking my hand, a grin on his face. I laughed again, remembering that this man's antics could _almost_ challenge a fourth year Sirius, which was quite a feat in and of itself.

"Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets." Ludo waved away the credit, beaming all the while.

"Fancy a flutter on the match? I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first- I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years- and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week long match," Ludo reported.

"Ok... go on then," Arthur said a little weakly. "Let's say... a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

"A Galleon?" Ludo asked, looking slightly disappointed but recovering himself quickly. "Any other takers?"

"Forty Galleons on Troy getting the first goal," I bet. Troy was an old friend of mine, from back in the war. I broke him and a dozen other Muggleborns and half-bloods from a Death Eater holding cell. In thanks, I was always given a great seat for Ireland's games.

Ludo smiled, boyishly excited as he took my name down. When he was done scribbling away, he looked back up.

"Anyone else?" he asked, looking at the Weasley children.

"They're a bit young to be gambling. Molly wouldn't like-"

"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen sickles, three knuts," Fred said as he and George pooled their money together, "that Ireland wins... but Viktor Krum gets the snitch. Oh, and we'll throw in a fake wand."

"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that-" Percy hissed, cut off when Ludo's face lit up as the proffered wand gave a loud squawk before transforming into a rubber chicken. Ludo roared with laughter.

"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!" Percy froze at Ludo's declaration, clearly disapproving of the man's behavior. Arthur tried to discourage the from betting but was hushed by Ludo.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur! They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland'll win but Krum'll get the snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance... I'll give you excellent odds on that one... We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we."

Mr. Weasley looked on, helpless, as Ludo wrote down their names and gave the boys their receipt.

"You haven't happened to see Barty Crouch recently, have you?" Ludo asked, glancing between Arthur and myself. "My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'd be able to sort it out. He speaks about and a hundred and fifty languages."

While Percy gushed on his hero's linguistic capabilities, and the twins laughed at his praise, I met Ludo's eye.

"Any word on Bertha?" I asked. While I wasn't close with Bertha Jorkins, I knew that something was wrong. She did tend to have a shaky memory, but she was usually found within a few days.

"Not a dicky bird," Ludo shrugged nonchalantly. "She'll turn up. Boor old Bertha... memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander into the office sometime in October, still thinking it's July."

"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Remus asked, appearing behind me. Ludo looked at both Remus, and Sirius behind him, with apprehension until I smiled at them.

"Barty Crouch keeps saying that," Ludo said, his eyes innocent. "We really can't spare anyone, though... Not at the moment, any- Oh, talk of the devil! Barty!"

The wizard had just Apparated to our fireside. He was looking like a perfect Muggle banker and I couldn't help but contrast Barty with my eccentric friends. The slight admiration vanished when he very subtly sneer in my, and more importantly Sirius' and Remus', direction. My eyes narrowed at him as he and Ludo began talking. Ludo was energetic as always, oblivious to the condescension and impatience radiating from Crouch.

Their conversation turned from the Bulgarians, to flying carpets, to the games. I only paid attention when Ludo hinted at something I'd been briefed on by Dumbledore: the Tri-Wizard Tournament. As a professor, I was strictly prohibited to even thinking about it near Harry, but that didn't mean I couldn't encourage his studies over the summer, just in case Dumbledore allowed younger students to enter.

When Ludo and Crouch finally left, the kids were all very confused.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fred asked at once. "What were they talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," I smiled at them.

"You know?" Ron asked.

"Of course she does, Ron. She's a professor," Hermione said, rolling her eyes patiently.

Percy huffed irritably.

"It's classified information until such a time as the Ministry decides to release it," he said stiffly. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."

"Oh shut up, Weatherby," George rolled his eyes, laughing with Fred as Percy reddened.

* * *

A/N:

Lol, I was born in the wrong decade: I'm jamming out to U Can't Touch This

...

I know all of the words...

*Hammertime*

I'm such a strange person o_O

Oh, well. It makes life- *cough*- fun. Curse you, lungs!

*cough cough* Susie *dies*


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:

Sorry for the HUGE delay in updates o.O I've been a bit pressed for time. I'm rewriting one of my original stories for a friend's sweet sixteen. Of all of my original work, it was her favorite, but I'm not satisfied with it. I wrote it when I was twelve, so the vocabulary seems so immature to me now... Oh, how time flies... Aw, I so such a cute little authoress! The story is about how four of my friends and I get trapped in a pyramid. It's pretty cool. Booby traps, undiscovered mummies, 'cursed' treasure, bats, etc. Not bad for little me :D

Anyway, on to what you WANTED to read~

This chapter is dedicated to S. E. Brodie, who I promised that I'd update tonight. Well, Re, it is 11:06, so I hope you like the chapter

Even if I don't own HP TT_TT

* * *

In true Irish fashion, I had exchanged my normal black cloak for a mossy green one. I wore shamrock earrings and put a green streak through my hair with a quick charm. It contrasted with my auburn hair and nearly matched my emerald eyes and I laughed at the mirror, seeing just how Irish I looked.

We bought merchandise from various salesmen before heading up to the pitch. Ron purchased a pointed green hat that was covered with dancing shamrocks, a large green rosette that mewed the names of the Irish players, and a charmed model of Viktor Krum that strolled around his hand. Harry bought a large green shamrock and omnioculars for himself, Ron, and Hermione, much to Ron's protest. Hermione bought programs for the three and a vibrant green rosette. I myself bought a rosette and a pair of Omnioculars.

* * *

When the time came to make our way to the pitch, we regrouped with the other Weasleys. Remus and Sirius were contrasting colors. Remus, like myself, was supporting Ireland while Sirius decided to support Bulgaria's team. Either way, Black or Lupin, one side would win ultimate bragging rights. The Weasleys were dressed more sedately, the only biased colors they wore being the bright green rosettes and flags. I had somehow tamed Hermione's hair and put a green streak through it, just as I did Ginny's.

We walked through the woods until the stadium came into view. I, having been to quite a few World Cups on invitation from the Irish team, was unsurprised by its size, but the kids were struck by its gargantuan form.

While Arthur spouted facts on the stadium, I handed our tickets to a friendly witch located at the entrance. She checked our seats before smiling at us widely.

"Prime seats, Top Box! Straight upstairs and as high as you can go!" she shouted helpfully over the dull roar that began to fill the field.

I led the way to the Top Box, the Weasleys and my own ragtag family trailing after me. We took our places in the seats, just as the other hundred thousand witches and wizards did in the lower seats.

I glanced around the room, the only other occupant of which being a house elf.

"Dobby?" Harry asked incredulously. The house elf lifted her head out of her hands in shock. It wasn't Dobby, as Harry had first presumed, but the recognition in her brown eyes suggested that she knew him.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?" she squeaked in a high voice. Ron, Hermione, and Arthur all turned to look at the elf.

"Sorry," Harry apologized a little sheepishly. "I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" she squeaked a little excitedly. "My name is Winky, sir- and you, sir- You is surely Harry Potter!" Her eyes had found Harry's lightning bolt scar. Harry and I shifted our weight uncomfortably and in unison.

"Yeah, I am," Harry confirmed.

"Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" she said, looking awestruck at my young nephew. Harry asked how Dobby was doing and her eyes darted to the ground sadly.

"Ah, sir... Meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Harry asked worriedly. Winky sniffed.

"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir. Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."

She went on to describe how Dobby wanted payment for work and I began to focus on other topics, especially when the box began to fill. Important witches and wizards, some I knew, some I did not, came to shake both my hand and Arthur's before being nearly attacked by Percy in his search for acknowledgement.

When the Bulgarians entered the tent, sided by Fudge, I had to stifle a laugh. There the Minister for Magic stood, making an utter fool of himself as he tried to understand the Bulgarian Minister for Magic, a man I knew to understand and speak English quite well. It was evident that the Bulgarian Minister was enjoying the other Minister's torture- a small grin was visible on his features.

"Mr. Oblanski," I greeted, holding my hand out to the wizard as Fudge butchered his name. He took my hand curiously and I smiled, automatically switching to Bulgarian. "I apologize for this idiot's behavior. Mr. Fudge was never the best at communication, even if he understands the language," I smiled. The Bulgarian Minister's eyes lit up with humor.

"Ah, you speak Bulgarian?" he asked. "It is no fault of Mr. Fudge. If anything, it is rather amusing to watch him try to speak with us. I will admit that watching Mr. Fudge mime everything will no doubt be as entertaining as this game."

I laughed with the man as Fudge looked between us, shock the prominent emotion playing on his face.

"You speak Bulgarian?" he asked me, astounded. I nodded, switching back to English.

"Of course I do. I may not be as proficient as Mr. Crouch in linguistics, but I know enough to hold a conversation."

"How many languages do you speak?" Arthur asked, amused as Percy froze, nonsense coming from his mouth every few moments.

"English, Gobbledegook, Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, Mermish... Lost count somewhere around forty. Although, I don't speak Troll, I do know how to say Happy Christmas in Unicorn," I grinned. "I have a pretty good American accent, too, if you want to hear it."

While the twins, joined by their younger siblings, Hermione, and Harry, laughed at Percy's expression, I turned my attention to the entrance to the box where I caught a flash of silver hair. There, standing in the doorway, were the Malfoys. Ignoring Lucius' cold glare, I made my way to Narcissa.

"Narcissa, I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been these past few years?" I asked warmly, hugging the other woman for just a moment. Her expression froze before she smiled at me.

"Well, thank you," she answered familiarly. Lucius, pulling Fudge towards us, introduced his wife and son.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Enjoying your summer?" I asked my student. He glanced first at his mother, then at his father, before nodding curtly to me. "I just wanted to let you know that I am going to return to Hogwarts this year. I have some fun lessons planned for my fourth years," I grinned. Draco's expression remained fairly neutral, a small grimace pulling at his lips.

Lucius sneered towards Hermione and I narrowed my eyes at him, clearing my throat. Lucius didn't say anything, seeing as he was in front of Fudge, but he shot Hermione and the Weasleys a contemptuous look.

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered under his breath. I chuckled and sat down, waiting for the game to start.

To start the pre-game show, Bulgaria's team sent out a hundred veela. Being female myself, I was unaffected by their songs and dancing, but it was amusing to watch the men make utter fools of themselves. Only Remus kept his wits, and that was by clapping his hands over his ears, humming to himself, and keeping his eyes on the ground. Sirius had a grin on his face, his eyes unfocused. Harry and Ron were both standing, leaning almost out of the box.

When the show ended, the crowd shouted angrily, joined by muttered arguments from the men in the box. Arthur reached over and stopped Ron from destroying his shamrock hat.

"You'll be wanting that once Ireland's had their say," he warned, a smile on his face.

The Irish team sent out a green and gold comet that danced through the air before separating into two. A vibrant rainbow formed between the two balls of light before forming into a huge shamrock of bright green that rained golden coins. On closer inspection, I laughed, seeing the leprechauns.

Settling down, the leprechauns took their places on Ireland's side of the pitch, just as the veela sat down crossed-legged to watch the game from the Bulgarian side.

Ludo, helped by his Sonorous charm, announced the Bulgarian team: Dimitrov, Ivanova, Zograf, Levski, Vulchanov, Volkov, and Krum. When Krum's name was called, and the eighteen year old flew into the stadium, the crowd went absolutely crazy. Ron was beside himself, shaking Harry by the shoulders excitedly as Hermione rolled her eyes.

Personally, I couldn't care less. My attention was only warranted by the Irish team. While I couldn't often see them, the seven green blurs that rushed the stadium had become my friends.

The referee, a man by the name of Hassan Mostafa, was introduced and opened the crate containing the four balls that made Quidditch so unique: the quaffle, the bludgers, and the miniscule golden snitch.

"They're OFF!" Ludo shouted. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

The chasers were passing the quaffle back and forth so quickly that Ludo hardly had the time to say their names. I watched the three Irish chasers come together, Troy taking point as they used the Hawkshead Formation. Troy darted up, the quaffle in his arm, and separated the Bulgarian chasers before dropping the red ball into Moran's waiting arms.

Moran had to barrel roll to avoid a bludger aimed at him by one of the Bulgarian beaters. He dropped the quaffle, and it was caught by Levski. Moran, recovering from the almost hit, spun upwards, shadowed by Mullet. The two Irish chasers rushed Levski, sandwiching him from above and below and forcing him to throw the quaffle to another Bulgarian chaser. The ball was intercepted by Troy and he sped away to the Bulgarian side of the field, quickly joined by Mullet and Moran. The two chasers covered their teammate as he made his way to the goalposts and shot it in, scoring the first ten points and causing the crowd to go nuts.

"TROY SCORES!" Ludo roared. "Ten to zero, Ireland!"

"Yeah! Troy!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as my friend made his lap of honor. Remus shot me an amused glance and I blushed ever so slightly.

"We go back," I shrugged.

The game sped up. Moran scored, followed up by another excellent goal by Troy, within ten minutes. The Bulgarian beaters began upping their game, sending the bludgers into the Irish chasers' formations with resounding _cracks_. One of the Bulgarian chasers danced through the Irish defense before I knew what he was doing and made a perfect throw that sailed through Ryan's guard and into the Irish goalpost, scoring Bulgaria's first goal.

The men averted their eyes and covered their ears when the veela began to dance in victory.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova! Oh, I say!" Ludo shouted, watching Krum and Lynch spin towards the ground.

My eyes scanned the ground in their path and I groaned, recognizing the maneuver.

"Don't fall for-!" It was too late, and Lynch wouldn't have heard me anyway. I recognized Krum's strategy as the Wronski Feint, a dangerous tactic but definitely worth it if applied correctly.

"Fool!" Arthur moaned. "Krum was feinting!"

"It's time out!" Ludo yelled, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aiden Lynch!"

"Ugh, Lynch! I told you to watch out for the Wronski!" I groaned as Charlie reassured his sister that Lynch would be okay. Bill looked at me curiously.

"You know the Irish seeker?"

"I saved Troy's life about fifteen years ago. I know the whole team," I shrugged. "And I _specifically_ told Lynch to watch out for the Wronski Feint! Come on, Lynch, get your head in the game!"

"I'd be happy if his head's alright after that crash," Arthur sighed. Sirius looked at me and laughed.

"What?"

"It's like sixth year all over again... Remember our game with Ravenclaw?" he laughed. I gritted my teeth- it wasn't entirely similar. I had just figured out the Wronski Feint and wanted to try it out in a game. Unfortunately, I had gotten a new broom just before the game and didn't take in the increase of speed into consideration. I smashed into the ground while the Ravenclaw seeker had plenty of time to pull away. The reminder didn't exactly help my mood; I'd broken three ribs, my arm, and dislocated my right shoulder in that move.

On the field, Krum was searching for the snitch with his eyes, undisturbed by the Irish team. When Lynch got back to his feet and into the air, you could tell that the Irish team was out for revenge. Clean revenge, but revenge nonetheless.

Fifteen minutes later, the Irish were ahead, one hundred and thirty to ten, and the Bulgarians were starting to play more maliciously. The Bulgarian keeper got called out for excessively elbowing Mullet in the face, forcing her to drop the quaffle.

The leprechauns darted through the air and spelled out the words "HA, HA, HA!"

The veela, seeing this, began to dance again, and Mostafa wasn't quick enough in covering his ears, began to fall under their spell. He landed in front of them, flexing his muscles and smoothing his rather large moustache.

"Now we can't have that," Ludo called, sounding rather amused. "Somebody slap the referee!"

A mediwizard came dashing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his ears, and kicked Mostafa in the shins. The kick seemed to snap the referee out of it and he looked exceptionally embarrassed. He shouted something at the veela, who had stopped dancing and looked very angry.

"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots! Now _there_ is something we haven't seen before... Oh this could turn nasty..." Ludo announced to the crowd.

It did indeed: the Bulgarian beaters landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing heatedly with him. Their arguments proved ineffective; the leprechauns shifted to spell out "HEE, HEE, HEE!"

Mostafa, unimpressed, gestured for the beaters to take to the air. When they didn't, he blew his whistle twice.

"_Two_ penalties to Ireland!" Ludo roared as the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger. "Volkov and Vulchanov better get back on those brooms... yes, there they go... and Troy takes the quaffle!"

The game became even more fierce. The beaters on either side grew more malicious, especially on the Bulgarian side. A scarlet-clad chaser nearly crashed into Moran, almost knocking her off of her broom and the quaffle out of her hands.

"Foul!" the Irish supporters roared in unison, a wave of green shuddering in the stands. Ludo's magically magnified voice soon echoed after them.

"Dimitrov skins Moran, deliberately flying to collide there, and it's got to be a penalty- yes, there's the whistle!"

The leprechauns were overjoyed. They took to the air once more, now forming a giant hand that was making a very rude gesture to the veela on the other side of the field. Enraged, the veela transformed from beautiful women to scaled bird-like creatures that threw balls of fire towards the leprechauns.

Ministry wizards flooded the field as the two species of creatures met in the middle of the field, culminating into a battle of red and green.

The game continued above them, the quaffle being thrown from one player to another as the battle continued.

Moran scored once more causing the Irish to cheer. Their shouts were all but drowned out by the screaming veela, the cracks from the Ministry wizards' wands, and the angry shout from the Bulgarians.

Quigley, one of the Irish beaters, smacked a bludger towards the Bulgarian seeker. Unable to evade it quickly enough, Krum took the bludger in the face. The blow was unnoticed by the referee. I didn't blame Mostafa though- the tail of his broom had been lit on fire by one of the veela.

Ron called for a timeout, complaining as he caught sight of Krum. He was still on his broom but his nose was bleeding profusely and, judging from my Omnioculars, broken.

A flash of green darted in my peripheral vision and I grinned as Harry shouted, "Look at Lynch!"

The Irish seeker was speeding downwards and I could see a glint of gold close to the ground, right above the fighting veela, leprechauns, and Ministry wizards. This was no Wronski Feint and the crowd knew it.

My respect for Krum grew when he seemed to realize what was happening and shot downward, following Lynch. It was impressive that he could see through the blood that had surely gotten into his eyes.

Before I knew it, Krum was level with Lynch. Both seekers pressed themselves against their Firebolts, trying to get as much speed as possible from their brooms.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione shrieked beside me.

"They're not!" Ron roared in response.

"Lynch is!" Harry countered.

I winced when Harry's prediction became reality and my friend crashed into the ground with another resounding _thud_. I winced again when he was jumped on by numerous and angry veela.

"The snitch, where's the snitch?" Charlie shouted, echoed by the other hundred thousand witches and wizards in the stadium. I was about to join the inquiry when I saw a figure clad in scarlet rising into the air, his fist closed around a glint of gold.

"He's got it- Krum's got it!" I shouted, echoed by Harry.

The scoreboard flashed to accommodate the new event, proudly displaying BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170. The crowd realized what happened slowly. The normal dull roar grew into a mess of shouting voices and screams of victory.

"IRELAND WINS!" Ludo finally shouted. Like most of the Irish supporters, he seemed very surprised at the turnout. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH, BUT IRELAND WINS- good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!" The twins' victorious grins argued that.

"What did he catch the snitch for?" Ron lamented. "He ended it when the Irish were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

"He wanted to end the game on his own terms," I chided. "Mullet, Moran, and Troy are too good for Zograf and Krum knew it. It was better for the Bulgarian team to lose by a narrow margin than get slaughtered."

"He looks a terrible mess," Hermione said quietly as mediwizards rushed Krum. He was still bloody and his nose was definitely crooked. Even though he must have been in pain, he refused to let the mediwizards clean him up. The scowl on his face was more prominent than ever. On the other side of the field, the Irish team was already celebrating, dancing in a shower of gold coins thrown by their mascots.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," Mr. Oblanski said in English. Fudge sputtered.

"You- You can speak English!" he stuttered, sounding outraged. Mr. Oblanski chuckled. "You've been letting me mime everything all day!"

"Vell, it vos very funny," Mr. Oblanski shrugging, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup is brought into the Top Box!" roared Ludo.

A bright light filled the box as it was illuminated so that the people in the stands could see inside. Fudge, still looking rather disgruntled, took the large World Cup from two panting wizards.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers- Bulgaria!" Ludo shouted. The crowd was clapping and cheering as the seven players entered the box. They each shook hands first with Mr. Oblanski and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, was still scowling, the snitch still caught in his grasp.

Next came the Irish team. Lynch was being supported on either side by Moran and Connolly, his eyes slightly unfocused but the grin evident on his face as Mullet and Quigley lifted the Cup for the crowd below to see. I found myself hugging Troy, shouting congratulations before they left to perform another lap of honor.

Ludo cancelled the charm that magnified his voice and turned back to us.

"They'll be talking about this one for years," he said hoarsely. "A really unexpected twist, that... shame it didn't last longer... Ah yes, I owe you... how much?" he asked as Fred and George scrambled over the backs of their seats, their hands outstretched.

I soon followed them, ready to pick up my own winnings.

* * *

A/N:

It's a good sized chapter, I think :)

By the way, if you even vaguely wanted to read my rewritten copy of the story (it's called The Mummy Find), PM me and I'll email you a copy :)

PS: because this is a fansite, I'm going to say right now that I don't expect any money from this, so it isn't _really _advertising. More like getting the word out.

^.^ Susie ^.^


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:

O_O

Before anyone attempts to murder me, I'm really really sorry about the unplanned absence. School's been busy, and apparently I'm almost failing a class o.o ... How does one fail sophomore chem? Apparently, it has something to do with missed labs, which I did actually do and hand in. Yep, my teacher's fun...

Anyway, on to the story!

I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

While the Weasleys and company went off to the tents, I separated from the group and ventured in the direction of the Irish team's territory.

When I finally arrived at the pavilion where they'd be celebrating with their closest hundred friends and highest-bidding fans, I was stopped at the door.

"You're not on the list," the bouncer said. I almost laughed at the cliché. I settled for a patient sigh.

"Tell Daniel Troy that Rose Lupin is here," I repeated. The bouncer chuckled a little but humored me, sending another wizard into the pavilion to give my message. It was not a minute later when the same wizard appeared, looking rather pale.

"He said that he specifically asked for her to be on the list," he said. The bouncer's eyes widened slightly and he moved aside. I nodded my head, smiling sweetly.

"Thank you," I said walking unimpeded through the doorway. Inside the pavilion, the party was quickly getting crazy. Drinks were flowing freely, the music was loud, and everyone wore huge grins on their faces as they stumbled around the shamrock decorations.

"Rosie!" A thoroughly tipsy woman greeted me. I groaned.

"Who let Kari drink?" I asked the Irish ream. Kari Mullet may be one of the best chaser the Irish National team has seen in years, but she had the alcohol tolerance of a house elf.

Craig Quigley raised his hand sheepishly and I sighed.

"You guys are hopeless," I chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't ruin your fun for long, I just wanted to ask you guys for a favor. You know who my nephew is, right?"

"Of course, you never stopped talking about little Harry," Troy grinned.

"Harry is the seeker on the Gryffindor team-"

"Aw, just like Rosie!" Kari shouted out. I sighed again.

"Yes, just like me," I said patiently. "I was wondering if you guys could do me a favor and sign some autographs. He and his friends are big fans, so-"

"I think we can do that," Ryan interrupted me. "Got something to write on? And with?"

I pulled a pen and my larger sketchbook from my bag. I flicked through the pages until I found the series of sketches I was looking for of Harry and his friends.

"This is Harry, Ron, and Hermione," I pointed to each. One of the pictures was of the three friends at breakfast, the two boys laughing while Hermione looked on, rolling her eyes. The second was of the three talking beside the lake, each smiling. The third was of the three in the library. Hermione was surrounded by books while the boys were exchanging bored glances. The last was of a completely different nature. It portrayed the Marauders, before there was a war, before we knew hate. One thing I changed, though, was exchanging Peter's nervous form for the laughing Lily.

"You do all of these?" Connolly asked. I nodded, tracing James's jaw line in the last.

"Dumbledore uses a pensieve to collect his thoughts, I use a sketchbook," I shrugged. The team nodded and signed the sketches, passing the book around. When they were finished, I hugged each one. Before I turned to leave, I crossed my arms and stared pointedly at Lynch.

"What did I tell you?" I asked. He shrank just a little under my gaze.

"To watch out for the..." The rest of his words were lost in a mumble and I smiled dangerously.

"To watch out for the Wronski Feint," I finished. "Krum's famous for the move, you should have anticipated that he'd use it."

"Don't worry, Rose, I'm such Coach'll punish him for it," Troy laughed. "Well, after the people stop partying." I rolled my eyes.

"You guys play for the _Irish_. They will _never_ stop partying."

The team only laughed as I made my way out of the pavilion.

* * *

By the time I made it back to our group of tents, the kids were all tucked into bed. Arthur joined Remus, Sirius, and myself in our tent for one last cup of hot chocolate and butterbeer before turning in ourselves.

Drunken singing and the odd bang echoed in the air and Arthur openly expressed how happy he was that he was off duty. I laughed, agreeing completely.

"Mullet was already hammered by the time I got the Irish pavilion," I shared, still laughing. "Tolerance of a house elf, that one."

"And you're better?" Remus asked, a teasing light in his eyes.

"I seem to remember drinking you under the table on quite a few occasions, Mister," I reminded him, poking his nose playfully. He pouted and Sirius grinned, pulling out a bottle of fire whiskey.

"Wanna try me?" he dared.

"Oh no, not going down _that_ road again. Last time I drank against you, I-" The memory had me blushing and I was _very_ glad I had enough of my wits to keep my mouth shut. Sirius's eyes betrayed his curiosity.

"I think I want to hear this story," he said, leaning towards me. Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I think I do too," he said quietly. I jumped to my feet, dragging Remus with me.

"Hey, look! It's time for bed!" When Remus and Sirius protested, I pulled harder on Remus's arm. "No arguing. Goodnight!"

* * *

I woke up to a loud crash. I jumped, pulling away from Remus's arms as I stood.

"What's wrong?" he asked tiredly.

"Something's happening," I said, already fully awake. Remus sighed.

"It's just the Irish," he said, brushing it off. I shook my head, getting dressed.

"Something's wrong," I repeated. "I'm going to check on everyone else."

Remus sighed again before getting up and dressed. I waited for him to be finished before leading him out of our bedroom in the tent. Sirius was pulling a sleepy looking Harry from his room.

"What's going on?" I asked Sirius. His eyes darkened.

"Death Eaters. We have to get the kids out. Arthur is already waking up his," he reported. My hand brushed my wand, still in its sheath at my thigh.

"Let's go," I ordered. The three followed after me as I left the tent, entering a riot.

The air was filled with flashes of light, drunken yells, and cruel laughs. Bursts of green light that I'd recognize from anywhere illuminated the campsites.

Across the way, I spotted them. They were looking very uniform in their dark cloaks, skull-like masks, and hoods. Four Muggles, two of them children, writhed in the air above them, suspended by some curse or hex and tortured by any of a dozen curses.

Wizards joined the masked Death Eaters and jeered at the tortured Muggles. They flew curses at the fleeing crowds, not caring what they hit. Tents were blown away or set on fire. Screams filled the air.

At the Weasleys' tent, the others were already gathering. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Arthur were all outside, their eyes searching for the rest of their group. I waved to them and Arthur's eyes lost some of their fear.

"You lot- get to the woods and _stick together_!" Arthur ordered all of the children. I'll come and fetch you once we've sorted this out!"

Bill, Percy, Charlie, and Arthur all ran towards the slowly approaching Death Eaters. I moved to chase after them, only to be stopped by an arm. I followed the arm to its owner, and I knew my eyes were questioning Remus. His eyes softened and his hand moved to my abdomen.

"Please." One word. That one word almost brought tears to my eyes.

_I hate hormones,_ I decided. Nevertheless, I nodded once and watched as Remus and Sirius ran to catch up to Arthur, their wands out and already firing bursts of light towards the Death Eaters.

"Rose?" Hermione asked me. I shook my head, forcing my voice to work.

"Grab hands, we need to get to the woods," I ordered. My hand found another and soon we were all connected. I gripped the hand, which turned out to belong to Ginny, and started pulling the group to the woods.

"Don't look back," I ordered. Unable to resist, I looked at Fred and George. "I'm going to look around. You guys are in charge."

I shrunk down as red fur grew to cover my skin. My nose and mouth elongated into a snout. I fell to all fours and a bushy tail swished behind me. The yellow crescent grew on my forehead and the transformation was complete.

I dashed forward into the woods until a scent hit my noise. _Calm... Why is someone calm in this mess?_

Curious, I followed the scent to a group of trees just at the edge of the clearing. There, leaning against a tree, was Draco Malfoy. The sight of him looking utterly serene while Death Eaters, his father included, more likely than not, attacked innocent men, women, and children.

"What happened?" Hermione asked shrilly. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is ridiculous- Lumos!"

I turned to both her scent and the light created by her wand. She, Harry, and Ron were by themselves and just a few yards away. Ron was sprawled on the ground, a grimace on his face.

"Tripped over a tree root," he explained angrily as he got to his feet. Draco scoffed.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," he drawled, drawing their attention to himself. Ron's rather colorful expletive response made me proud to be his teacher in some twisted way.

"Language, Weasley," Malfoy tutted, his eyes faintly amused. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like _her_ spotted, would you?"

His nod at Hermione, illuminated by a green flash from the campsite and echoed by a loud blast, made my blood boil. I knew what he was getting at, probably more so than Draco.

Unable to stop myself, I let my Animagus transformation undo itself.

"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled. Draco grinned maliciously and I cleared my throat.

"That's quite enough from you, Draco. Get out of my sight before I track down your father and drag his ass to Azkaban," I growled. As an afterthought, I added, "Like he deserves."

He didn't move and I shifted so that I stood between him and the three teenagers I had welcomed into my ragtag family.

"The House of Malfoy will pay for your father's crimes one day, Draco. Follow in his footsteps and you will know just how I dueled Voldemort and lived to tell the tale," I threatened. Draco shivered slightly at the name and I grinned, satisfied.

I turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, keeping my face smooth.

"Let's get back to the others," I said softly. Ron threw a disgusted look at Draco before turning to leave.

After a while, with none of our group in sight, we came upon a group of girls that were arguing in rapid French. I tried to understand what they were saying, but it was just a little too fast. Suddenly, one of the girls spun around.

"Oú est Madame Maxine? Nous l'avons-"

"Désolé, je ne parle pas bien le français. Je ne sais pas oú Madame Maxine est. Nous allons á Hogwarts," I said, trying not to stumble over the French as I explained to the girl that I didn't know where Madame Maxine was.

"Oh... Désolé pour le dérangement," she apologized, whirling around to face the other girls. They walked away and the teenagers with me all stared at me.

"What?"

"What did she want?" Harry asked finally.

"I _think_ she asked where Madame Maxine was... She's the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, one of the French wizarding schools."

"And you said...?" Ron asked.

"I apologized for not being fluent in French. I think I told her that I didn't know where Madame Maxine was and I'm fairly certain I told her that the three of you go to Hogwarts."

"Fairly certain?" Harry asked, sounding amused. I shrugged.

"French was never one of my strong suits. I don't really like France, so I've never had to rely on it."

We continued on, the path lit by my and Hermione's wands, when Harry suddenly dug his hands into the pockets of his coat, then his jeans.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't believe it... I've lost my wand!"

I nearly groaned. I took my bag off of my shoulder and started sifting through it. Quickly losing patience, I pointed my own wand into it.

"Accio wand!" I murmured. A box flew into my hand and I opened it, revealing a willow wand. I forced my expression to remain neutral as I took the wand from its box and pressed it into Harry's hands.

"If anyone deserves to hold that wand, it's you," I told my nephew. He studied the wand in his hands.

"Why me?"

"That wand was your father's. After Hagrid left with you, and Sirius left to track down Pettigrew, I went through what was left of the house. The rebounding curse destroyed most of your parents' belongings, but I managed to find their wands and some other belongings. I keep your mother's on me at all times," I told him, pointing at the second wand sheath on my left calf.

"Didn't see that before," Ron commented. I smiled.

"You weren't meant to."

It grew quiet and tension started to build.

_How far away could they have gotten?_

I was startled by a rustling sound. My war reflexes kicked in and a bolt of red light launched towards the sound. The stunning spell didn't seem to hit anything, but it did terrify the small house elf.

"Winky!" I shouted, relieved. "What the bloody hell are you doing out here?"

"There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked. She moved to run forward but was slowed by some invisible force. My eyes narrowed at the way her robes twisted. "People high- high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"

She disappeared into the woods and my thoughts darkened.

"Go on without me. I'm going to make sure she doesn't get into trouble for running," I lied to the three oblivious teenagers, who nodded and resumed their trek through the woods. I turned, shrinking back down into fox and following the fear in Winky's scent, accompanied by the joy of another.

I followed her into a clearing, where I stayed hidden in the shadows. I saw a man step into the light, a wand in his hand, and he pointed it to the sky, uttering an incantation that I had heard too many times before.

"MORSMORDRE!" A pale green skull formed in the air. A snake tongue flicked out from its mouth, surrounded by a green aura that threatened to mask the stars.

"Petrificus totalus!" I shouted, my wand directed at the figure. "Incarcerous!"

_Whoever this is, he's not a good guy. _

I looked for Winky and was shocked to see her sprawled on the ground, obviously stunned.

"Kreacher," I called. My house elf appeared with a loud _crack_.

"Professor?" he asked politely. I nodded at Winky.

"Can you please wake Winky up and make sure she stays here? She's been through an awful lot from what I can tell." Kreacher nodded his understanding and went up to Winky, placing a hand on her shoulder so that, if she Disapparated, he'd go with her and be able to bring her back. "Thank you."

My attention went back to the figure lying facedown in the center of the clearing. If he had been conscious, he'd have fought against the ropes, making them tighter. Spotting a wand near to him, I picked it up, recognizing it as Harry's, and placed it in my pocket. I then knelt beside him, taking a breath before turning him over.

There, with the echo of a mad light in his eyes, was a man that I knew. That I recognized. That I hated.

My hand tightened around my wand. I stood and jabbed the air in his direction.

"Locomotor."

He rose into the air and I guided Barty Crouch Junior back towards the campsites. I cast the same spell on Winky and Kreacher carefully guided her behind me, holding onto her shoulder as he stepped over the tree roots.

In the near distance, I heard a resounding cry of _Stupefy!_ and I changed directions, heading for the commotion.

"Stop! STOP! That's my son!" a voice I recognized as Arthur's shouted. I sped up. I arrived at the edge of the clearing. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were surrounded by no less than twenty Ministry employees that all held their wands aimed at them. I recognized Crouch Senior following Arthur, coming closer to the three teenagers.

"Which of you did it? Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do that!" Harry protested, gesturing up at the green skull floating in the night sky.

"We didn't do anything! What did you want to attack us for?" Ron demanded, indignant. He sulked in his father's general direction as Crouch Senior took over.

"Do not lie, sir! You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Where did the Mark come from, you three?" Arthur asked, his voice more strained than crazed, unlike Crouch Senior's.

"Over there," Hermione said shakily, pointing towards me. "There was someone behind the trees... they shouted words- an incantation-"

"Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well-informed about how the Mark is summoned, missy-"

"That is enough, Crouch," I announced from my vantage point. All eyes went to me and Crouch Senior's bulged in a very angry way.

"You! I should have known it was you, you-"

"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you," I growled. A loud _crack_ filled the air behind me and I groaned, knowing what I would find if I turned around. "Kreacher..."

"Kreacher's sorry, Professor. Would you like me to find the man?"

"No, he'll be long gone," I lamented. Crouch bristled.

"What do you mean? Who will be gone?" Arthur asked.

"Hold that thought; Amos, would you mind lowering your wand from my nephew's throat?" I called out. The Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures lowered his arm a little sheepishly.

"Sorry... carried away..." he mumbled.

"As for the bastard that summoned that thing..." I drifted off. "Well, heads will roll, that's for sure. Especially since he supposedly died in Azkaban. Didn't he, Crouch?"

"What are you saying, Mrs. Lupin?" Crouch demanded. I wasn't fooled. His hands were twitching, his skin had paled. He knew exactly who I was talking about.

"I'm saying that _someone_, not necessarily from his family, helped the man who tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom, my best friends, into insanity, escaped!" Realizing how loud my voice had gotten, I cleared my throat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked stunned to hear of Neville's parents' fate.

Satisfied that my voice was at a reasonable volume, I spoke again.

"I'd like to formally request that the recapture of Bartemius Crouch Junior receives the highest priority the Auror Office can offer. Mr. Crouch, I'd like to apologize in advance for any inconveniences any investigation into your son's past makes to you."

"It is of no consequence," he said, his voice strained and his mouth taut. "That does leave one thing left, though. Winky."

"M-m-master..." the house elf stammered, looking up at Crouch with tears in her eyes. I was immediately disgusted. "M-m-master, p-p-please..."

"Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible. I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went out to sort out the trouble. And now I find that she disobeyed me. This means _clothes._"

Clothes. The ultimate shame of a house elf.

Winky threw herself at Crouch's feet, sobbing and wailing as he looked on impassively. In fact, he stepped back as if he didn't want to dirty himself with her.

"She was frightened!" Hermione burst out angrily. "Your elf's scared of heights, and those wizards were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"

Crouch looked first at Hermione and then at Winky with contempt.

"I have no use for a house elf who disobeys me," he said coldly. "I have no need for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."

Winky continued to sob and the rest of the witches and wizards fell into silence.

"If there aren't any objections, I think Arthur and I should take these three back. It's getting late, wouldn't you agree, Amos?"

"Ah- yes, very well. Go on, then," he said awkwardly, caught on the spot. I smiled briefly at him before reaching into the group, grabbing the ones that belonged to me, and separated myself, dragging the others behind me.

* * *

A/N:

So, don't worry, I'm updating again tonight. I'm not going to leave you on _that_.

I'd like to thank S.E. Brodie for helping me with the storyline. Thanks, Re! Love you lots!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:

WARNING: THIS IS THE SECOND UPDATE OF THE NIGHT. Please go back one chap- Well, you should know the drill by now ;)

I don't own HP ;(

* * *

Much speculation, time, and uneasy sleep later and we arrived, safe and sound, at the Burrow. The first thing to greet us was Molly's relieved cries.

"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!"

She ran up to us with surprising speed, having waited in the front yard for our arrival. Her face was pale and stressed. A rolled up _Daily Prophet_ was clutched in her hand.

She flung her arms around Arthur's neck, pulling him close and dropping the paper. I lifted it to see the cover story: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP. A black and white photograph of the Dark Mark was displayed below. My eyes caught the name Rita Skeeter and I grimaced, knowing it wouldn't be good.

As soon as Molly was finished nearly strangling her children, Arthur led her into the house. Once she was sure that they were all quite alive- and once she had soon very strong cup of tea laced with firewhiskey- she relaxed into being happy that they were safe.

* * *

It wasn't even a week later when I left the Burrow for London. Much to Molly and Arthur's protest, I took Harry, Ron, and Hermione back with me. Hermione, much to my surprise, had opted to come to Grimmauld Place. This had caused Ron to want to tag along, helped by the fact that he didn't want to be stuck with his family while Percy and Arthur talked about damage control.

"Remus! Sirius! I'm home!" I called up the stairs, pushing the door closed behind me. Ron and Hermione studied the hall carefully while Harry rushed up the stairs, pausing near the top.

"Well? Come on, then," he grinned.

"Show them their rooms!" I shouted up to them as the three disappeared into the higher floors. I sighed and Sirius stuck his head out of the kitchen door.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice oddly serious. At the uncharacteristic tone, I followed him through the doorway into the kitchen. I sat down at the table and Sirius began pacing.

After what felt like ten minutes, I sighed a little impatiently.

"Are you going to say something or-"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant?" he asked out of the blue. My thoughts froze, repeating the question.

"Because... Because I didn't want it to be like last time," I said quietly. Sirius's eyes darkened with sadness and I looked down.

'The last time' being the last time I was pregnant. It was just after Remus and I had gotten married. Sirius wanted to be the godfather so badly, I eventually broke down and let him claim the position before the baby was even born.

When I found out that my first was going to be a boy, I joked with Lily about how he and Harry were going to be best friends. The Potter and Lupin boys, running the school and following in their parents' footsteps. It grew even more real when Sirius and Shannon started dating. The Marauders part two. Well, minus Pettigrew. We always knew he wasn't going to reproduce. It was so real, almost tangible.

That was why it was so terrible when it fell apart. That one curse, on that one battlefield. I wasn't even supposed to be there. It was one of the last battles. I was six months pregnant, but didn't want to leave Remus. James had stayed behind with Remus and me, trying to convince me to get out of there.

James had to leave, though. He was needed on the front lines. He made me promise that I'd leave, but that was it. He left to fight back to back with Sirius, keeping the Death Eaters away from our small fort and the Muggle town beyond it.

I had stood to leave. I was going to leave. And then it hit me. A bolt of light. I don't even remember what it looked like, just that it was bright, too bright. My ears rang and my heart clenched for just a moment. Pain overpowered all of my senses, drowning out all other feeling or thought. There was just pain. A kick was the last thing I felt before I passed out.

I snapped out of my memories as Sirius spoke very softly, almost a whisper.

"I wouldn't let that happen again. Neither would Remus."

"I hate..." My voice drifted off as tears filled my eyes.

"What?" His voice sounded slightly panicked and I laughed, the sound resembling a cough.

"I hate hormones," I muttered, laughing under my breath as tears poured down my face. Sirius sighed in relief before laughing.

* * *

All too soon, September 1st was nearly upon us. Not needing to rush to get to King's Cross, I took the kids to Diagon Alley to make sure that they were properly stocked and ready for the new year.

We all replenished our potion kits, as I had been getting dangerously low. I took them to get their books for the new year and took Harry to his vault at Gringotts. With much complaining, I took the three to buy dress robes. Hermione was already set and strangely against showing me her dress, but the boys were unaware that they even needed dress robes. Against Ron's wishes, I supplemented the funds his parents had offered to cover his dress robes. However much he hates his family's financial status, I couldn't let him go to the Yule Ball in lace and ruffles. It was with that thought that I ordered simple black robes for both Harry and Ron.

By the time we arrived at the station, the Weasleys were saying their goodbyes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione melded back into the group, luggage and pets in tow, and I waded my way into the crowds surrounding the Hogwarts Express.

I found myself standing beside Neville and his grandmother, Augusta. After saying my hellos, Neville disappeared into the crowd to meet up with his friends, leaving me with Augusta. Silence fell and I felt tense, for very good reasons.

"He escaped," I said finally. Augusta's eyes darted to mine suspiciously. I could feel my lips twist into a grimace. "That bastard... I swear to you, Augusta, I will track him down. I shouldn't have let the Ministry deal with them the first time."

Her eyes shone with recognition and her expression darkened to match mine.

"I will track him down, and I will make sure he pays. I owe it to them; to Neville."

A hand tightened on my shoulder and I met Augusta's eyes. Her face was weighed down by old pain and regrets.

"Don't sink to their level, Rose. You are worth more than _he_ will ever amount to."

"So were Frank and Alice."

Augusta nodded once, her mouth a thin line, before turning around and disappearing into the chaotic crowds. When I could no longer see the ridiculous hat that had, through use of a Boggart, seriously damaged Snape's reputation, I turned back to the train.

* * *

Before long, I was seated in a train compartment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon joined me and the train ride passed by in conversation. There was a sour moment when Draco decided to loudly boast about Durmstrang, the Bulgarian equivalent of Hogwarts that was infamous for its tolerance of the Dark Arts.

Friends came and went from the compartment and I let myself shrink down into a fox, cuddling with Crookshanks. The ginger cat was very happy to help keep me warm, especially since Hermione didn't seem too invested in him at the moment.

There was another bad spell when Draco came back around. The blond boy, not seeing me, decided it was a good idea to poke fun at Harry and his friends. By the time he and his meat shields had left, Ron was seething. When Ron stood to close the door behind them, he shut the sliding door with enough force to shatter the glass.

The compartment remained in a gloomy silence for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts. When the time came to depart from the train, Harry and his friends were depressed to see the weather reflecting their mood. There was a downpour of freezing rain.

I was glad to take the carriages.

Once safely inside the carriage, I shook my wet fur, causing the four fourth years to shout out in protest. Grinning, I transformed back. I took my wand out of its sheath and leveled it at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

"Ventus," I murmured. A blast of warm air filled the carriage, not stopping until we were each dry. All four wore grins.

"Thanks, Professor," Harry grinned. I grinned back.

"No trouble. After all, I can't have four of my students missing out on classes, now can I?"

The mood much lighter, the short journey to the castle was spent in easy conversation and small talk.

* * *

Against my wishes, I was seated once more at the head table with the other teachers. Tormenting Snape was fun and all, but it wasn't as entertaining without Remus. It didn't help that Mad-Eye wasn't at the table yet.

I joined Dumbledore in his study of the Great Hall's ceiling. It was dark and stormy, strewn with black and purple clouds that obscured the normally bright stars. A fork of lightening would occasionally flash across it.

Finally, Hagrid led the first years inside. They all looked soaked to the bone, and I knew Poppy was going to be dealing with colds and runny noses for the next three weeks. The Sorting Hat sang a song about the foundation of Hogwarts and his own creation and the Sorting itself commenced.

The Sorting went by, the feast began and finished, but there was no sign of Mad-Eye. Dumbledore stood to give his traditional speech and I still sat beside an empty chair.

"So!" Dumbledore said, smiling to the entire room. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask once more for your attention, while I give out some notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be view in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

A small smile pulled at Dumbledore's lips before he continued.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

The response was immediate. Students looked, shocked, at members of their House or of their team. Many focused all of their attention on Dumbledore, their mouths moving wordlessly, asking for explanation.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking much of the teachers' time and energy- but I assure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"

He was interrupted as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, granting access to a man I greatly respected. A flash of lightning illuminated the ceiling and threw shadows across his already mutilated face and many of the students looked downright terrified of Alastor Mad-Eye Moody.

Mad-Eye made his way to the staff table, where he shook hands with Dumbledore. Dumbledore asked something in an undertone that I, even being as close as I was, couldn't hear, and Mad-Eye responded likewise. Seemingly satisfied, Dumbledore waved for him to sit next to me.

"Mad-Eye," I greeted him, smiling. His magical eye flicked towards me and he nodded curtly before beginning to eat. Confused by the cold greeting, I focused my attention back on the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore, his cheery voice breaking the silence. "Professor Moody, assisted by Professor Rose."

Instead of clapping, the young witches and wizards merely stared at Mad-Eye as he continued to eat. Whispers rose in the Great Hall, but Dumbledore quickly regained control of the students.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an even that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will taking place at Hogwarts."

"You're JOKING!" Fred called out loudly. The tension since Mad-Eye's arrival broke and nearly everyone laughed. Even at the staff table, more of us laughed than not.

"I am _not_ joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar-"

Minerva cleared her throat loudly and I grinned.

When Dumbledore resumed his explanation of the Triwizard Tournament's rules and the new age restriction, I turned to Minerva.

"I wanted to hear the joke..." I pouted. She smiled at me, rolling her eyes before focusing back on the students. I was about to follow her lead when, in my peripheral vision, I spotted Mad-Eye drinking from his hip flask. I had to stifle a laugh.

_Same old Mad-Eye._

* * *

A/N:

Aww, moments with various characters... So yes, Rosie is pregnant. I feel like Sirius _would_ call dibs on godfather. I mean, it makes sense- after all, who else would do it, Severus?- but I thought it was kinda cute and rather... un-serious... Lol, puns...

Quick little snippet with Augusta Longbottom. I like to think that, while she would appreciate some revenge as closure, she wouldn't want Rose to take it into her own hands. That kind of thing happens a lot in the HP universe...

Anyway, I hope you liked the updates!

Please please _please_ review!

Until next time,

^.^ Susie ^.^


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:

I did intend to update yesterday... It didn't really work out -.-

Anyway, hope you like it ^.^

Even if I don't own Harry Potter...

* * *

It's strange how I seem to miss all of the fun when Mad-Eye is involved.

When I came upon the scene, all my mind registered was the students shouting out in surprise and the white ferret on the ground, right in between Crabbe and Goyle. Noting Harry and his friends standing defensively, I had to keep myself from sighing.

The ferret squealed before beginning to run towards the dungeons but Mad-Eye was way ahead of it.

"Oh no you don't!" he roared, pointing his wand at it. The ferret rose ten feet into the air and dropped to the floor, only to rise up again.

"Attacking someone when their back's turn... Stinking, cowardly, scummy, thing to do-" _Ah, so that was it._

"Mad-Eye," I said in a warning tone. My old friend looked up at me with his magical eye and he made a growling noise. "That wouldn't happen to be Mr. Malfoy, would-"

"Professor Moody!" a shocked voice called out. I groaned, turning to see Minerva striding towards us, her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Mad-Eye said calmly, bouncing Draco higher and higher.

"What- what are you doing?" Minerva demanded, her eyes following the ferret.

"Teaching," he replied curtly.

"Teach- _Is that a student?_" Her voice rose half an octave. I drew my wand flicking it in Draco's direction. The ferret stopped in its bobbing and began to spin, transforming back into Draco Malfoy. The blond boy's face was now extremely pink and he winced as he stood.

"Moody, we _never_ use Transfiguration as a punishment!" Minerva scolded sharply. "Surely Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it," Mad-Eye said unconcernedly.

"We give detentions, or speak to the offender's Head of House!" Minerva continued. Draco, still looking very humiliated, muttered something about his father and I braced myself for the inevitable impact as Mad-Eye stepped up to him.

"Oh yeah?" he dared, limping on his wooden leg to threaten Draco at a shorter distance. "I know you father, boy; you tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son... Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Draco said resentfully. Mad-Eye scowled.

"Another old friend. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, boy..."

He seized hold of Draco's arm and began dragging him towards the dungeons. Minerva stared at them anxiously and I sighed.

"I'll make sure Mad-Eye doesn't kill anyone," I volunteered. She looked a little relieved as she nodded and I glanced at the students who had gathered around us. "You lot, get to dinner."

"Professor, can I speak to you after dinner?" Hermione asked just before I turned to walk away. I glanced back at her and smiled.

"My door's always open, Miss Granger. Come up whenever you want," I answered. With that, I began the walk to Snape's office, hoping I didn't have to clean bits of either Slytherin off of the walls by the time I arrived.

To my surprise, I didn't have to pry Mad-Eye off of anyone's corpse. Draco, apparently having been punished enough, had been released and was out of sight. Mad-Eye and Snape were speaking almost rationally, but it was a very strained conversation. When I stepped into the office, Snape seemed strangely relieved. He avoided Mad-Eye and I knew why.

It was Mad-Eye's job to track down Death Eaters, just as it was my unofficial duty. When Snape flipped the tables on Voldemort and turned double agent for our side, it angered Mad-Eye to no end_. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater_. But Mad-Eye couldn't do anything, just like I couldn't. The information Snape had at his disposal was too valuable for our side to turn up.

That in mind, Mad-Eye set a boundary of sorts. Snape would stay out of his way and no would get hurt. I could tell the deal rubbed Snape the wrong way, but he agreed to it.

When the time came for the fourth years' first class with Mad-Eye and myself, it was obvious that they were really anticipating this lesson, especially after the ferret fiasco, as Minerva had named it.

I was lounging on my desk in my Animagus form, waiting with the students for Mad-Eye to trudge into the room. I had already taken attendance. The students had their books out and ready.

When he did arrive, he got straight to business.

"Right then. Rose and your last professor told me about this class. Seems like you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures- you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, right?"

A general acknowledgment rose from the class that was silenced by Mad-Eye's swiveling blue eye.

"But you're behind- very behind- on dealing with curses," he said gruffly. I scoffed, watching my tail twitch. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark-"

"What, aren't you stay?" Ron blurted out. After a moment in which Ron grew very tense, Mad-Eye smiled briefly.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh? Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago... Anyway, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore... One year, then back to my quiet retirement."

I barked a laugh, just as Mad-Eye did. Mad-Eye clapped his hands and got started.

Holding to my expectations, Mad-Eye didn't let them test the waters first. Instead, he treated them like the new Auror recruits: by _showing_ _them_ the Unforgivable Curses. Normally, I wouldn't have had an issue with this, especially since he wasn't using a human as an example, but I knew that this class would be different.

When Neville raised his hand and mumbled something about the Cruciatus Curse, I watched him carefully. His face paled, his hands gripping his desk so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his eyes widened with horror as the spider on Mad-Eye's desk writhed in pain.

"Mad-Eye, these aren't Aurors," I said in a quiet voice. Many of the students whirled around in their seats to see me and I guessed that they didn't notice me in the back.

"They need to know," Mad-Eye said in his rough voice. I sighed and he continued, leaving the spider alone. "Pain... You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse... That one was very popular once too..."

"Professor Rose, have you used this curse?" Hermione asked me in a very quiet voice, her eyes on Neville. I remembered that I had last year told this class that I had used two of the curses.

"Last year, I told this class that I have used two of the Unforgivables after the Ministry gave me license," I explained to Mad-Eye before turning back to Hermione. "No, Miss Granger, I am proud to say that I have never used this curse in my life. I know how it feels from personal experience and that is something I would never wish on another human being, no matter the choices they made in life."

"Then that means-" Her voice stopped as her eyes went wide and she began to tremble. Mad-Eye looked at her appraisingly.

"It seems Miss Granger knows the last curse," he said quietly, nodding at her to speak.

"A-Avada kedavra," she whispered. Mad-Eye's mouth twisted into a sad smile.

"Ah yes, the last and worse. Avada kedavra... The Killing Curse." Mad-Eye reached into the jar, his hand groping the bottom of the jar in search of the spider. The class looked on apprehensively as the spider was deposited onto the wooden desk. It tried to scurry away, but Mad-Eye's wand was already trained on it.

"Avada kedavra," he muttered. A burst of green light followed by the slight rush of wind were the only warnings before the spider fell onto its back, unmistakably dead. For some reason, I felt my eyes water and I was glad I was at the back of the room. I didn't need my students to see me have a mental breakdown because a spider died.

"Not nice. Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting in front of me."

All eyes turned to Harry, who reddened in embarrassment. He kept his eyes on the blackboard, determined to avoid Mad-Eye's.

"Avada kedavra and the other two Unforgivables are very precise curses. Knowing the words isn't enough to get the full effect. If any of you were to pick up your wands and point it at me, I might not get so much as a nosebleed. Death Eaters, the supporters of Voldemort-" A number of students gasped and I sighed. "I'm going to be saying his name all year. Fear of a name and all that," I said.

"As I was saying, the Death Eaters coaxed so much power and fear out of these three curses with intent. Originally, all three Unforgivables were created for use in medicine. The Imperius Curse was used as a sedative of sorts, to keep unstable patients from hurting themselves and others until a more long-term treatment could be administered. The Cruciatus Curse was used on a much smaller scale to search for nerve damage in patients who suffered massive trauma. The Killing Curse was used in only the most extreme cases- when there was absolutely no hope for their survival. It allowed the patient keep their dignity and mind before they deteriorated into madness or worse... Why is Hermione the only one writing this down?" I asked suddenly, watching the class intently. The other students jumped and picked up their quills while Hermione hid a smile.

"Now, because of what Voldemort's-" there was another shudder, "-followers did with these spells, use of any one of them on another human being guarantees a life sentence in Azkaban. Mad-Eye?" I invited. He grunted a response.

"That is what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing, vigilance_."

The rest of the period was spent taking notes. I let Mad-Eye do most of the talking, watching how he reacted with the students. Most of them weren't sure if they should be afraid or terrified but there was a solid respect for him. When the class was over, and Mad-Eye dismissed them, I walked up to him as the students filed out.

"Mad-Eye," I said, getting his attention. His magical eyes swiveled up to look at me. Already used to it, I didn't shudder or blanch like many of the students did.

"What?" he asked gruffly. I crossed my arms.

"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd try to hex you for showing Neville the Cruciatus like that," I said sternly. To my surprise, Mad-Eye laughed.

"Don't laugh, Mad-Eye. These are kids, fourteen and fifteen years old, and you're treating them like Aurors!"

"Don't baby them, Rose," Mad-Eye growled. I knew it wasn't personal, but I still sighed impatiently.

"At least talk to Neville. Tell him how Pomona said he was good at Herbology... I don't know, _something_. Just get his mind off of his parents."

I spun around and left to catch up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry's mind was surely somewhere along the lines of Neville's.

My fear was confirmed when I caught up to the three friends. Ron was still talking about the Killing Curse and I cleared my throat. Ron and Harry jumped, turning to face me.

"Ron, I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of it in such a positive light. The Unforgivables caused a lot of pain," I reprimanded, glancing briefly at Harry. Ron fell silent and his face painted the guilt he felt. Of course, that only made me feel guilty. To make amends, I sat with the three at dinner.

While the first years looked at me curiously, they soon realized that none of the older students seemed bothered by my presence, so they turned back to their food and conversations.

About halfway through dinner, I remembered something that had been forgotten in the chaos of the Quidditch World Cup.

"You guys know how Ireland won the Cup?" I asked offhandedly. More than one set of eyes turned towards me, seeing as that was old news. I hid a smile. "I told you guys how I'm friends with the team?"

"With the Irish National Team?" Ron asked, his eyes wide. I grinned, nodding.

"The very same. I saved Troy's life way back when, and he introduced me to the rest of the team," I explained briefly. Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron started going on and on about the various players.

"How many famous people do you know?" Hermione asked, laughing under her breath. I shrugged.

"Well let's see," I joked before reaching for my bag. I fished around in it before pulling out my sketchbook, the one the team had signed. "I have something for the three of you..."

It seemed that everyone at the table leaned forward as I flipped through the pictures. Most of them were landscapes of and around Hogwarts, but a number were of the Golden Trio, mythical creatures, or the Marauders.

"Did you do all of those yourself?" a new, excited voice asked. I turned to the voice and I recognized the boy as one of the younger students, a third year named Colin Creevey who always seemed to have a camera in his hands.

"Yep," I answered, holding the sketchbook so he could better see the charcoal sketch of James playing Quidditch. It was a quick sketch, but I felt the need to preserve the intensity of his eyes in that moment.

"Is that Harry?"

"Nah, there's no scar," an older student commented over Colin's shoulder.

"It's Harry's dad. I drew this from a memory of our sixth year. I was Gryffindor's seeker, he was a chaser and captain. We were against Slytherin and the Cup was on the line. We had to win by at least twenty points or we'd lose the cup. We were a hundred and forty points behind. I was watching Harry's dad for the signal to stop keep the other seeker busy when he got the quaffle and went for the goal. I caught the snitch and we won the Cup... McGonagall had to leave the dormitory to get some sleep that night," I smiled, almost shocked to see my vision blurring from unshed tears. I wiped them away, embarrassed. "God, I'm a mess."

"You really miss him, don't you?" Hermione asked quietly. I smiled at her, internally cursing mood swings. They were like muscle spasms; after the first one, you think that you can control it. Then you find out just how wrong you were, how stupid you were to think that you had any influence over it.

I glanced over at Harry and he seemed proud of his dad. Like he was happy that he had some small piece of him to celebrate.

I almost jumped when I remembered why I had gone into my sketchbook in the first place. I flipped through more pages, settling on the first with signatures.

"Is that- That can't be-" Ron stammered. The sketch was of the three at breakfast, not unlike how we were now. Harry and Ron were both laughing, Hermione in the background, rolling her eyes at them. I passed the sketch to Ron, who was now a sputtering mess.

I glanced down at the next picture before carefully tearing the paper away from the book. The picture displayed the three friends in the library, Ron and Harry exchanging bored glances while Hermione did her work, surrounded by books. I gave the picture to Hermione.

I looked at the final sketch. It was probably the simplest, but it felt more alive to me. It was of the three friends sitting beside the lake under the willow the Marauders had monopolized in our time. They were all smiling and talking about things long forgotten. I tore the picture from my book, pressing it into Harry's hands.

"After everything that happened at the World Cup, I completely forgot to give these to you. Aiden said he was looking forward to meet you, Harry."

"Ai- Aiden _Lynch_!"

I winced, holding my ear before leaning closer to Hermione.

"Note to self, famous Quidditch players turn Ron into a fan girl," I whispered. Hermione laughed so hard that she held her sides in pain. I looked on, satisfied, as the leftover tension from the DADA lesson disappeared.

* * *

Lazing on Mad-Eye's desk in my Animagus form, I felt uneasy about the day's lesson. The retired Auror had stayed true to his original lesson plans, plans that I could not change no matter what I said or did.

I watched Dean Thomas jump around the classroom whilst singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown did a rather impressive imitation of a squirrel. Neville performed a series of gymnastics.

All failed to even attempt to fight the Imperius Curse.

I was more or less powerless to interfere. As Mad-Eye put it, I had already gotten to know many of these students. That, added to the maternal instincts that were always just beneath the surface, greatly weakened the potency of my Imperius. We- or more correctly, Mad-Eye- had decided that he would pass the more capable ones on to me while he continued on.

"Potter," Mad-Eye growled. "You next."

Harry stepped forward into the middle of the classroom and Mad-Eye raised his wand.

"Imperio!"

Harry's eyes took the dulled, disconnected look that always appeared in the first few moments of the curse. A vague smile crossed his lips and he walked towards me, still on the desk. I saw his knees bend and I jumped to my feet, expecting a need to move to safety. To my surprise, a look of confusion crossed Harry's features. The expression took hold before a flicker of pain flashed in his eyes.

I jumped when he did. I leapt over him easily. Too easily. He was too low to the ground to clear the desk. He hit it headlong and fell to the floor.

"Now _that's_ more like it! Look at that, you lot... Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! Keep at it with Rose. Very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling _you_!"

So Harry, looking rather disgruntled, joined me in my corner of the room. I shifted out of my Animagus form and smiled at him.

"Congrats, Harry. Don't think I'll go easy on you though," I said, grinning. Harry leaned away from me and my grin widened.

Mad-Eye was wrong. If my relationships were affecting the potency of my Imperius, they were making it stronger. If I was going to let anyone near my family, I'd be the one to make sure they were prepared for it.

* * *

A/N:

Not much to say... Oh well... Bananas... om nom...

For the record, I am not eating a banana, but I really want one... Bananas are good. Lots of potassium *yawn*

I is sleepy...

Hope you liked it! Leave a review~

^.^ Susie ^.^


	8. Chapter 8

A/N:

Hope you like it x3

I don't own HP

* * *

October 29th came surprisingly quickly. While on most years it was merely two days before Halloween, this year it promised to bring the delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons in the morning.

The castle underwent significant cleanings. The older, dirtier portraits received a thorough scrubbing. The suits of armor decorating the corridors, once rusted or creaky, now gleamed in the light and moved soundlessly. Filch growled a pair of first year girls into tears after they neglected to wipe their shoes upon reentering the castle.

The other teachers were just as tightly wound. I heard Minerva specifically order Neville to "not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" While this wasn't entirely unfounded (seeing as Neville had managed to transplant his ears onto a cactus), I didn't doubt that it increased the stress permeating the school.

Later that night, just before curfew, Hermione came to my office. I was just about to go to sleep. It was one of the few nights I didn't have to patrol the corridors, so I was already comfortable in my t-shirt and sweats.

I was in a separate room than Mad-Eye so that we both had personal space and privacy, something that was important to each of us.

"Professor?" she asked almost timidly. I opened the door and smiled.

"Good evening, Hermione. Did you want to talk about something?"

"I- I did."

"Then by all means, come in." I opened the door wider and let her into my office.

The space was the same size as my previous office and it definitely felt more like home. It was decorated with my favorite color scheme: pastel reds and blues accented by gold. Sketches of different sizes and themes covered the walls. My two way mirror, the only reliable method of contact with my husband and best friend, was carefully propped up on my desk. A small kitchen area was located in the east corner. Two couches encircled the fireplace set into the western wall. A door located at the top of a small stair led to my private quarters.

"Would you like some tea? I just finished making a pot," I said conversationally. Hermione nodded and accepted the mug when I held it out to her. She brought it to her lips and sipped it thoughtfully.

Taking my tea, I sat down on a couch, tucking my legs under me and pulling a blanket over my legs.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, patting the place next to me. Hermione sat, holding her tea close to her. She shivered slightly and I pulled at my blanket so that it included her too. "Family mode. What's up?"

"It's Harry... Did he tell you? About his scar?" she asked worriedly. I felt my face settle into a frown.

"He didn't... Do you think something's wrong?"

"There must be... He's been having nightmares. He wakes up and his scar hurts," she confided. I hummed thoughtfully.

"Curse scars... That can't be good... Dumbledore will probably have a few theories about something like this... The last time his scar hurt was when he was near Voldemort?"

"Yes."

"Well, it can't be that. If Voldemort has enough of a body to do anything, he'd be steering clear of Hogwarts. With Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, and myself here, he'd be foolish to try something." At Hermione's skeptical look, I laughed. "I might be a little rusty, but don't let appearances fool you. I'm just as capable of incapacitating minions and the like as Mad-Eye."

"I guess..." Did that fool me? Of course not.

"You may be the brightest witch of your age, but your acting could use some work," I commented, sipping my tea. I was rewarded with a laugh before Hermione's expression grew more somber. "Listen to me. I lost my sister, my brother in all but blood, two friends, acquaintances, and allies against Voldemort. I lived for thirteen years thinking I lost Harry too. I'm not taking any chances."

"Okay..." She still wasn't convinced, but it was enough for me, for now.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh! No, it wasn't." Her expression brightened and I found myself sitting up a little straighter. "I was doing some research-"

"Hold on a minute. By 'research' do you mean flicking through a book until you've absorbed enough information to finish that Transfiguration essay, or do you mean scouring the library, reading dozens of books, for something that isn't relevant to schoolwork?" Based on the withering glance she gave me, it was the latter. "Okay, Miss Granger, enthrall me with whatever legal scheme you're plotting."

She held up a button with the letters S.P.E.W. and I made myself take it in stride.

"S-P-E-W... I'm going to need some more information," I said neutrally.

"It stands for Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

I sighed patiently, knowing where this discussion would lead. After meeting Winky at the World Cup, Hermione had taken an avid interest in elf rights. I had thought she was satisfied after meeting Kreacher, who was very happy with his ownership, but evidently, she was not.

"Hermione, I know what you're trying to do with this, but there are some things about this society that you can't change. I know that there are some house elves who are mistreated, but the majority of house elves are very happy with their situations."

"Only because they don't know any better!"

"Hermione, I agree with you. House elves _should_ be given the same basic rights as humans, or at least the option of it. But therein lies the problem: house elves genuinely like their work. They like to feel needed, appreciated. If you try to take that away from them, even by setting them equal to humans in a legal sense, they will feel insulted."

"But they-"

"Hermione, I know that this is hard for you to understand. It was hard for me to understand at first... I have something to show you," I said, getting an idea. I placed her cup of tea on the coffee table, grabbed her hand, and led her to the door, grabbing a cloak on the way out.

I didn't stop walking until we were at the familiar painting of fruit. I held out my hand, brushing the pear, and the door opened.

"What is-"

"Come on," I ordered, taking her by the hand and guiding her down the stairs.

The kitchens were lit by the light of the fires. The house elves that weren't preoccupied with other duties soon formed a crowd around us and Hermione's heart was plain on her sleeve.

"Good evening, Professor, miss," one of the house elves greeted us. I smiled.

"Good evening Greville," I nodded at him.

"Does the Professor needs something?" another elf asked.

"We did just come to talk, but I wouldn't say no to a mug of hot chocolate," I announced. The elves dispersed in a hurry and I smiled. Greville stayed behind.

"What does you wish to speak about, Professor?" he asked politely.

"First off, Hermione, meet Greville."

"Much pleased, Miss Hermione," Greville bowed his head.

"Does the miss wants hot chocolate too?" another house elf, Kitty, asked as she brought my hot chocolate.

"No thank you," Hermione said politely.

"Greville, can you spare a few minutes? I think Hermione would like to speak to you about something." Greville glanced around the kitchen and nodded.

"Greville can speak to Professor and Miss Hermione as long as you needs." He led us to one of the tables beside a roaring fire. I settled on the bench with my hot chocolate held in my hands.

Hermione wasted no time.

"Greville, do you get paid to work here?" His eyes widened and he glanced towards me.

"Of course not, Miss. Greville is proud to work for the great Hogwarts," he said honestly.

"But don't you want _anything_ for your hard work? You don't get paid, sick leave, pensions, _anything_!"

"Greville doesn't want payment. Greville is happy to work here, Miss," he insisted. Before Hermione could continue, I cut in.

"Greville, why don't you tell Hermione who first brought house elves to Hogwarts?"

"Oh, it was Mistress Helga Hufflepuff."

"So your kind have been enslaved here since the-"

"And why did Helga Hufflepuff bring house elves to Hogwarts?" I asked Greville, cutting Hermione's rant short. Greville's face lit with a childish smile.

"Mistress Hufflepuff didn't wants to see us hurt by bad masters and mistresses. Mistress Hufflepuff brought us here so we coulds be helpful to little witches and wizards and make them happy."

"But don't _you_ want to be happy?" Hermione asked. Greville looked into her eyes.

"Greville _is_ happy, Miss. Greville has good masters and mistresses and work to do. Greville is glad to be at Hogwarts, Miss."

"Thank you, Greville," I smiled at him. "Hermione just found out that there were house elves at Hogwarts, and she didn't take it very well. She feels very strongly about house elves and is afraid that people would take advantage of you." Greville's eyes widened again and he shook his head viciously before turning to Hermione.

"Hogwarts is safe for house elves, Miss. There are many house elves here who came from other places with mean masters and mistresses. Horrible stories they tell. Greville is happy he doesn't work in those places."

"Hogwarts has acted as a haven for house elves who can't find work. When Dobby started asking for payment, and couldn't get a job, Dumbledore took him on."

"Headmaster Dumbledore lets house elves works here even if their masters and mistresses gives them clothes. Many of us came from bad masters and mistresses, so we comes to Hogwarts. People is nice to us here."

"People don't know about you here," Hermione argued. Greville beamed.

"That means we is doing our jobs well. Thank you, Miss." He turned back to me. "Sorry, Professor. Greville should go back to work."

"It's no problem, Greville. Thank you for talking as long as you did," I said, smiling at the house elf. He nodded politely, saying a quiet goodbye before disappearing back into the kitchens.

"Let's get you back to Gryffindor Tower. I'm sure it's past curfew by now," I said, laying my now empty mug of hot chocolate on the table. Hermione stood, her expression caught between defiance and acceptance. The result was a silence that spanned the entire journey to Gryffindor Tower.

"Balderdash," I murmured to the Fat Lady. She opened the door and Hermione stepped through the portrait hole. "Hermione, Hogwarts is safe for house elves. They're protected here. Don't forget that.

"Get a good night's sleep tonight. Tomorrow'll be busy." I turned to leave when I heard her speak, her voice just above a whisper.

"Goodnight, Rose... Thank you."

* * *

October 30th, Welcoming Feast.

I had helped with the decorations in the Great Hall. Tapestries portraying the four houses were hung on the walls, each displaying the houses' emblem. A large silk banner behind the staff table bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: all four houses' mascots on a shield bearing a large H.

I sat at the staff table grudgingly. Minerva didn't need the Imperius Curse to bend people to her will.

From my vantage point at the table, I watched as the students filed back in. Judging from the uniforms, there appeared to be about a dozen students from Beauxbatons and another ten from Durmstrang. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students went to Ravenclaw and Slytherin's tables, respectively.

"Is it just me, or is Mr. Malfoy very eager to speak with Krum?" I hissed, leaning towards Minerva. She shot me an amused smile.

"The boy's a world renowned Quidditch player, Rose. Let Malfoy have his fun," she chuckled back. "At least he's not asking for an autograph in lipstick."

"_Yet_," I murmured back before my neutral expression shifted to a grin.

I kept my expression neutral when Karkaroff sat beside Snape. Madame Maxine took her place beside Dumbledore and proceeded to dictate how her horses should be cared for. _Pfft, single-malt whiskey._

The hall quieted when Dumbledore stood to speak.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. For our guests, I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast, but for the moment, I invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

Taking him at his word, the students, both foreign and local, began to eat in earnest. I found myself looking at the Gryffindor table with envy. There would be no fun conversation tonight- not when Minerva is striving so hard to uphold Hogwarts's reputation.

During the feast, Ludo and Crouch came into the Great Hall, seating themselves on the edges of the table. I knew that Ludo- or more specifically, Crouch- was here to explain the rules of the Triwizard Tournament, especially the new age restriction.

When dessert was finished, the golden plates cleaned once more, Dumbledore stood, ready to introduce both the Tournament and the two Ministry officials.

"The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation; and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Whether it was his tenure as beater for the Wimbourne Wasps or his likeable character, Ludo received a much stronger round of applause. As a testament to his friendly nature, he merely waved the acknowledgement away with an ever-boyish smile. Crouch, on the other hand, gave no such notice.

_Blah, blah, blah, rules, rules, rules. No students under the age of seventeen, blah, blah, blah... Age line, magical contract, yawn..._

With the rules explained, Dumbledore wished everyone a good night and the Great Hall grew louder and louder as the students milled out in a haphazard mess. I joined Mad-Eye into the crowd. After all, he was an imposing figure and cleared quite a path for us.

The conversations abruptly quieted at the door and I looked up to see why. A swell of anger welled up inside of me but I quelled it as I stepped behind Karkaroff.

"Yes, that is Harry Potter," I said to the Durmstrang headmaster, interrupting his study of Harry. Karkaroff spun around and his faced paled slightly before filling with fury, edged by a touch of fear.

"You!" was his articulate response. Mad-Eye growled behind me, stepping up to face the thin man.

"Us," he said grimly. "And unless you've got something to say to Potter or Professor Lupin, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Karkaroff paused, his eyes appraising us, before sweeping out of the door, leading his students away.

"Rose?" Hermione asked in an undertone, stepping close to me as the other students filed out around us. "What was that?"

"Old news. Old enemies. Just stay away from him, all three of you. That's not the kind of man you want to associate yourself with."

With that, I left, knowing that the three friends were exchanging glances.

* * *

Unsympathetic to Minerva's pleas, I abandoned my seat at the staff table for my more comfortable place at the Gryffindor table for the Halloween feast. There weren't illusions of sophistication there, nor was there a need for them.

The Halloween feast passed with much tension. Hardly any food was eaten since all the students present were eagerly awaiting the selection of the champions. When the plates were finally cleared, the talking in the room ended abruptly, the room growing silent as Dumbledore stood.

Dumbledore explained where the chosen champions would wait after they were selected, an antechamber of the Great Hall. He drew his wand and tapped the brightly burning Goblet of Fire.

Seconds passed until the Goblet grew violently red. A tongue of flame shot into the air, a single charred slip of paper accompanying it. Nearly all of the students gasped as Dumbledore reached out and grabbed the piece of parchment.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be... Viktor Krum!" he read in a clear voice. A storm of applause swept through the Hall, accompanied by a loud roar of approval by both Ron and Karkaroff. Krum rose from the Slytherin table, made his way to the staff table so all could see him, and disappeared into the antechamber.

Another slip of paper flew from the flames and Dumbledore caught it as easily as he had the first, reading it at arm's length.

"The champion for Beauxbatons will be... Fleur Delacour!"

While the Hogwarts and Durmstrang students clapped loudly, the other students from Beauxbatons were visibly distraught from the selection. Two of the girls dissolved into hysterics, crying into their hands.

The Goblet flashed red once more, for the final time. Dumbledore caught the parchment and read the name aloud.

"The champion for Hogwarts is... Cedric Diggory!"

I studied the tables. Most of the Hogwarts students seemed very pleased with the choice- every single Hufflepuff student had joined to their feet as they cheered for their classmate- and only a few seemed to show any disappointment.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily once the applause finally died down for Mr. Diggory. "We now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions ever ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very-"

_What?_ I asked myself as the Goblet's flames flashed red once more. A touch of foreboding struck me as a fourth scrap of paper flew from the cup, caught again by Dumbledore's able hands.

The old wizard stared almost blankly at the piece of paper before clearing his throat. All eyes, already boring into Dumbledore, doubled in intensity as he read out a name, his piercing eyes darting to the Gryffindor table.

"Harry Potter."

* * *

A/N:

Aaaaaannnnnddddd, CLIFF HANGER!

Well, you all should know what happens next, in any case.

Please review x3

^.^ Susie ^.^


	9. Chapter 9

A/N:

Wow, sorry about the hiatus. Time flies and I left you on a cliff-hanger-ish ending. Wow. Kind of ashamed of myself :'(

Even so, I'm updating twice tonight to make up for it!

I don't own Harry, but Rosie is my mind-child.

* * *

I froze, my heading turning to my nephew. My instincts told me that everyone else in the room did the same. Harry turned to his friends.

"I didn't put my name it," he said blankly. I could tell from the shock in his eyes that he was not lying. "You know I didn't."

Hermione and Ron only stared blankly back. Harry looked to me desperately and I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat.

_This is a binding magical contract. If Harry doesn't compete..._ I didn't let myself finish the thought. _But if he does..._ It was almost as bad.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again.

I forced Harry to meet my eyes.

"I will walk with you," I promised, letting myself shrink down into a fox. I jumped from the bench, aware of the eyes following both myself and Harry. I nipped at Harry's ankle and he seemed to awaken, getting to his feet and walking numbly towards the staff table.

No one was smiling. I wasn't smiling. We all knew the implications of this. The Hogwarts staff, Minerva and myself especially, would not want Harry to compete because of the risk. The visiting headmaster and mistress would be outraged that Hogwarts had two champions. No one was happy.

Harry, flanked by me, let himself into the Great Hall's antechamber to join the other champions. I could tell from a glance that he was already intimidated.

The three older students were grouped by the fire. Krum was his usual brooding slouch of an animal. Cedric stood facing the fire, his hands behind his head in a carefree manner. Fleur sat gracefully besides the hearth, her face tilted towards the flames. She turned to face Harry as the door closed behind us.

"What is it? Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

In response to her question, I melted out of my Animagus form.

"No, they-"

"Extraordinary!" Ludo exclaimed from the door. I gritted my teeth as he made to move closer to Harry.

"Ludo, I don't believe you understand what just happened," I said as calmly as I could manage. My attempts to mask my angry impatience worked too perfectly on the man, evident by his responding grin.

"Of course I understand!" He grabbed Harry's arm and led him to the other champions. "Gentlemen! And ladies," he added as an afterthought. "May I introduce- incredible though it may seem- the _fourth_ Triwizard champion?"

I pushed Harry into the sofa while the other champions and Ludo talked. The noise in the room grew louder and louder as we were joined by the other teachers and heads. When a question was finally directed at Harry, it was by Dumbledore.

"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly. I knew that, under that calm, was anger. Harry, however, was spared this knowledge.

"No," he responded, his voice strained. Snape scoffed quietly and I glared in his general direction.

"Did you ask an older student to put your name into it for you?" Dumbledore continued.

"_No_," Harry said adamantly.

"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" Madame Maxine cried out. Snape shook his head, smirking under his hair.

"He couldn't have crossed the Age Line-" I began.

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," Madame Maxine shrugged, interrupting me.

"It is possible, of course," Dumbledore said politely.

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" Minerva said angrily. "This is nonsense!"

"Mr. Crouch... Mr. Bagman... you are our- er- objective judges. Surely you must agree that this is most irregular?" Karkaroff asked.

"We must follow the rules, and they clearly state that those whose names comes out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament," Crouch shared from the shadows when Ludo seemed at a loss. Ludo beamed, reassured from the knowledge.

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," he grinned happily. He turned back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxine, both of whom were still rather enraged.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students. You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more and we will-"

"Oh shut up!" I said tersely, crossing my arms. The Durmstrang headmaster turned at me, an ugly look of disdain and anger on his face. It would have been intimidating if not for the flash of caution that flashed through his eyes.

"Rose," Minerva said warningly. I held my arms closer to my chest, looking Karkaroff in the eye.

"Obviously you didn't read the rules as carefully as you should have. Then you would have known that the Goblet doesn't and can't be reignited until the start of the next tournament. Clever, isn't it?" I sneered. I heard a dull thudding as Mad-Eye limped into the room.

"You got it?" he asked me, his gruff voice strangely quiet. I nodded once.

"I'm afraid I don't understand you," Karkaroff said, his body language betraying his readiness to fight.

"Don't you? It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that Goblet, knowing he'd have to compete if it came out," Mad-Eye said.

"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!"

"I quite agree, Madame Maxine. I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic _and_ the International Confederation of-"

"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's Potter," Mad-Eye growled.

"Why should 'e complain?" the Beauxbatons girl, Fleur, asked in a high pitched voice that was guaranteed to get on my nerves. "Zis is a chance many would die for!"

"Well, there you go," I said, interrupting the brief silence created by Fleur's outburst. "Lily and James made many enemies in the war days. Harry made twice as many when he defeated Volde-"

"Don't say his name!" Minerva hissed. I through her a withering glance.

"When he defeated 'You-Know-Who'," I emphasized. "I could name a dozen witches and wizards who would give their wand arms if not their lives for a chance to get back at him."

"Rose... what a thing to say!" Ludo said anxiously, shifting his weight between his feet. Karkaroff scoffed.

"Teaching your students to fear assassination, Professor? An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but I'm sure you have your reasons."

"I think we all agree that Harry didn't put in his name in the Goblet. That means whoever did would have to be an skilled witch or wizard-"

"What evidence is zere of zat?" Madame Maxine cried out, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. Mad-Eye answered for me after sighing impatiently.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object! It would have taken an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that Goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament..."

"My guess is that they would have put his name in under a fourth school," I jumped in as Mad-Eye's voice trailed off. "That way, his name would have come out no matter what happened."

"An ingenious theory. You two seemed to have given this a lot of thought, but you must forgive me if I don't take your word as truth. As I understand, you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday present contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg and smashed it to pieces before realizing that it was a carriage clock, Moody."

"I sent you that clock," I pouted. It did look rather like a basilisk egg, but that was the joke. I suppose he didn't read the card I sent with it. "Although, if I wanted to send someone a basilisk egg, it would've been on their birthday... Better chance they'd keep the thing long enough for it to hatch."

"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Mad-Eye retorted, completely ignoring me. "It was once my job to think as Dark wizards do, Karkaroff... You should remember that..."

"Alastor," Dumbledore warned calmly. "How this situation arose, we do not know. It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been selected to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do."

It was decided, and no one could think of a way around it. The instructions regarding the first task were given and Crouch left by himself, despite Dumbledore's invitation to stay at Hogwarts.

The students were dismissed and I left with Harry and Cedric, much to Cedric's discomfort. I could tell he wanted to ask Harry if, and how, he had gotten his name into the Goblet. Cedric left us at the marble staircase, walking towards the basements and his common room.

I led Harry upstairs, noting that he was deep in thought. At the Fat Lady's portraits, I spun around. Harry, not paying attention to where he was going, collided with me and stumbled back, apologizing.

"It's no problem, Harry. I just want to know what you're thinking about."

"What do you think?" he said under his breath. I sighed, thinking past the Fat Lady's inquiries into the school champion.

"I'm not going to tell you not to worry. What I am going to tell you is to ignore _everyone_ for the next ten minutes," I said to my nephew. I looked up at the Fat Lady. "May we go inside?"

"Very well," she said, looking miffed at being so blatantly ignored. The portrait swung open and we were hit with a wall of sounds. I raised my wand, muttering the Silencing Charm.

"Shift, the lot of you!" I ordered. The students' mouths continued moving but the sea of Gryffindors gradually cleared a path. I led Harry up to his dormitory, glancing pointedly at everyone who moved to come closer. I pushed Harry up the stairs and turned back to the common room, my wand held out as I lifted the charm.

The noise now back, but more sedated, I followed Harry up.

"-don't know why you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either..."

I grew disappointed, hearing Ron's speech from the doorway. Harry insisted, probably repeating himself, that he did not put his name in the Goblet.

"Harry," I said, knocking on the door and letting myself in. "It's my job to make sure you get through this. Come to my office, tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"But I have Charms-"

"I'll talk to Flitwick. I can get you caught up on anything you miss. Ron and Hermione are free to come as well," I said, staring pointedly at Ron's bed's drawn curtains. Harry nodded before making his way to his bed. I let him go, making my way back into the common room and out into the corridor, carefully dodging every question thrown at me.

* * *

A/N:

Stay tuned for Chapter 10!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	10. Chapter 10

A/N:

WARNING: You know the drill. Please go to Chapter 9 and start from there. Thank you~

I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

I heard a hesitant knock on my door. I could understand why it was so hesitant- I hadn't been at breakfast. _And I had thought I wouldn't have to deal with morning sickness..._

I opened the door widely to reveal Harry and Hermione. After Ron's behavior the previous night, I wasn't surprised by his absence, but I was a bit saddened by it.

"Hey guys, come on in," I greeted, smiling as I stepped from the door to let them enter. I led them into the living room area, where the coffee table was loaded with dozens of books.

"Let me say from the start that the next few months will not be easy for you two, especially you, Harry. I'm making it my job to teach you everything _I_ think you need to know for this, which is a lot by your standards."

"Um, Professor?" Hermione asked awkwardly.

"Rose," I corrected distractedly, fixing myself some tea with a flick of my wand.

"Rose," Hermione repeated. "Are you all right?"

"Course I am. Why would I not be all right?"

"Well... you weren't in breakfast, so...-" I followed her eyes down to my pajamas. My morning hadn't been going exceptionally well- oversleeping plus morning sickness can do that to a person- so I hadn't bothered to change out of my Doctor Who t-shirt and plaid sweatpants. My hair was tied into a loose ponytail and out of my face.

"Oh, that," I shrugged. "_That_ can wait after I figure out where you two are in your studies.

"I'll be the first to admit that, if I wasn't worried about the effect Sirius would have on you, Harry, or if you didn't have such good friends here, I'd teach you privately back in London. That way I could make sure that you knew everything you could possibly need. I'm not going to take you out of Hogwarts now, but I was seriously considering that for a while."

"You'd take me out of Hogwarts?" Harry asked, sounding shocked at the idea.

"Not anymore, no. I really only considered it back when I first met you, after you escaped from our lovely relatives," I assured him.

"What now?" Harry asked after a pause. I gestured towards the couch, motioning for the two friends to sit down. They obeyed and I sat across from them.

"Well, first I need to know where both of you are at in your studies. Then we'll go from there," I shrugged. With that, Harry and Hermione began going into detail with what they had learned thus far. When it came to this year's curriculum, Hermione was almost startled at Harry's knowledge and even more so of his practical experience with the new material.

"But it's illegal to use magic outside of school! You're lucky you haven't been expelled, or arrested!" she gasped. I shook my head.

"The Trace, the enchantment that allows the Ministry to see if you are using magic, can't tell the difference between my magic and yours'. To prevent purebloods and halfbloods from getting in trouble when their parents use magic, the Trace is nullified in the home. The Ministry relies on wizarding parents to keep their kids in line. In other words, Ron could use magic at home and his punishment would be handled by his mum. You do magic at home, and you could be expelled."

"But that's unfair," Hermione said, sounding scandalized. I nodded.

"It's a rubbish law. I don't uphold it. That is why I allowed and encouraged Harry to get started on the curriculum during the summer."

Hermione looked to Harry, a new respect in her eyes.

"That's how you've been doing so well in class," she told her friend. He looked a bit confused and she smiled wryly. "Think about it: you've been getting spells almost as fast as I do, you haven't asked to copy a single essay except from Potions, and you do your own homework."

I raised an eyebrow at my nephew.

"You copied from Hermione?"

"I- erm- well-" He was startled when I started laughing.

"Somewhere, Sirius is very proud. Anyway, aside from your _previous_ bad study habits, it looks like we have some work ahead of us."

* * *

~Lunchtime~

Harry and Hermione were exhausted, but I was very proud of them. As I had expected, Harry was being modest when it came to his spell work. When quizzed, his performance was exemplary. Hermione was determined to not be left behind, rising to every challenge thrown at her. An hour before lunch, I set them to practice dueling and was pleased to see that they were quick enough on their feet.

After changing into more appropriate attire, I sat with the Gryffindors again, not particularly wanting to see Karkaroff when my morning had been so nice.

Regardless of where I sat, I was disappointed.

The Gryffindors, while disheartened when they could not get any details out of Harry, were proud enough of Harry's part in the tournament that they did not hesitate to flaunt, and therefore exclude, him. I knew that Harry hated this recognition, this added fame; he was a teenage boy- he wanted to fit in for once.

The Hufflepuffs were visibly angry and it didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out why. The Hufflepuff house was commonly regarded as the least impressive of the four houses. They got so little respect and recognition, they must feel as if Harry stole it from them moments after Cedric, one of their own, was named champion.

The Ravenclaws seemed to side with Hufflepuff, deciding that Harry was once again trying to steal all the glory. Adding insult to injury, not one of them could figure out how Harry supposedly put his name in the Goblet, especially since all of the older students had already denied putting it in for him.

The Slytherins were being... themselves. Malicious intent, sneers, dirty looks, and all. Their death muncher daddies would be proud to see how they treated the Boy Who Lived.

The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were clearly bitter, still feeling as if they were stripped of a right. In a way, they were right to be angry, seeing as the chances of their school bringing home the glory went from a one in three chance to a one in four. To compensate, they were openly cold to the Gryffindors, being unnecessarily friendly with the other houses. Slytherin greatly appreciated it, especially since that meant that they occupied more of Krum's attention.

Turning away from my study of the Great Hall, I took out a piece of parchment and my self-inking quill, touching the tip to my tongue to activate the charm before pressing it to the paper.

Dumbledore,

Keep wandering eyes from this.

I'd like to take the time now to formally ask to take Harry as a private student. If he is to survive the next few months without serious injury, he'll need some serious catching up. As you know full well, he is already at a major disadvantage. I've had him start the fourth year's curriculum over the summer, but he is still a two and a half, if not three years behind the other champions. Although I should tell you, I intend to tutor him with or without permission, so I suppose this is more of an announcement than a request.

On another note, I heard something of a more disturbing nature from Hermione. Although he has not chosen to confide in me, at least not yet, Harry has been experiencing nightmares. Nightmares related to his scar. According to Hermione, he wakes when his scar starts to burn. I fear that Voldemort is getting stronger, and with that, the link between Voldemort and Harry. I'm sure you've already theorized this, but I think that Harry is beginning to be aware of the bond, even if Voldemort is unaware of it. As a precaution, I'd like permission to teach Harry in Occlumency.

Also, I have something to talk to you about, in private. Something that cannot wait long, I'm afraid. I've been noticing little things, things that I doubt even you have noticed. If you have, I'd like to confirm my theory. Although I have to say... I really hope it's just a theory.

Rose

I folded the letter in half, whistling a single note. The shrill sound caused the students nearest to me to cry out in alarm and cover their ears but I paid them no mind as Aren flew gracefully through the window. She alighted on my outstretched arm and chuffed happily when I passed her a piece of my bacon, placed at the table just for me, nibbling on it as I tied the parchment to her leg.

"Dumbledore," I whispered to her. She blinked in recognition and opened her wings as she finished the bit of bacon. She flew off, landing carefully in front of the headmaster so as not to disturb the food laid out on the table. Dumbledore smiled at my owl as she held her leg out and obliged, untying the letter. He opened it and read it quickly, looking up at me and giving a subtle nod.

He took out a quill and scribbled something on the back of the letter, holding it out to Aren. She took it in her mouth, once again taking to the air.

I took the note as soon as she landed, pushing my plate towards her. I opened it hurriedly, my eyes scanning the paper.

Rose,

I give full permission, of course. I trust your judgment perhaps more than my own when it comes to Harry. Leave alerting Harry's other professors to me. I apologize for the intrusion, but I have no delusions that both you and Severus shall escape that conversation unharmed. My only wish is that the change in lessons be kept as quiet as possible. If the other schools, or the Daily Prophet for that matter, were to learn of it, they'd accuse you of favoritism. Discretion would be wise.

Thank you for alerting me regarding the change in Harry's condition. As a matter of fact, I have a variety of theories regarding the bond between Harry and Voldemort, theories I shall share in a more private setting.

You know how I enjoy theories. The more ludicrous the better, in my opinion. It always seems to be the least likely answer to fit best, so I will gladly hear your idea, especially if you hope it to be proven false.

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. Have you tried lemon drops? They are wonderful little candies, aren't they?

I looked back at the staff table, nodding. I turned back to the students.

"I have lessons to prepare for," I said, not completely lying. "Ron, Hermione, could you two swing by my office before dinner? I have a few things to talk to you about."

Ron muttered something under his breath but, judging from Hermione's too-cheery smile, she'd get him to my office if she had to drag him by the ears.

I rescued a piece of bacon before Aren could grab it, carefully slinging my bag over my shoulder so as not to disturb its contents. I said a quick goodbye to the students before walking towards the door, still munching on my bacon.

_Mm... Bacon..._

* * *

I said goodbye to Hermione and Ron as they walked from the door of my office.

Sure, the meaningful talk I had planned that explained to Ron and Hermione the dangers that Harry would be facing was dotted with arguing and more yelling than I'd like, but I think I got the point across. After showing Ron the statistics of champions who had survived all three tasks, he seemed to fall out of whatever angry bitterness he had.

Yes, he had been jealous of Harry, but it was superficial. He cared more for his friend than he did for his personal pride, and I admired that. He might've had a lot to live up to with his family, but he didn't have to _be_ them, and I hope he left with that knowledge.

* * *

A/N:

Hope you liked it!

Oh, and please review! Huge thanks and virtual cookies to everyone who has already and will! Lots of love! [Author love, that's the best kind. Author love= updates ;) ]

^.^ Susie ^.^


	11. Chapter 11

A/N:

I lied. Updating again, for the third time. Please go to chap 9~

Not owning anything. Still.

* * *

"Hey, Poppy, can you do me a favor?" I asked, checking to see that the hospital wing was clear of students. Madame Pompfrey strayed from the cupboard she had been sorting to look at me.

"What do you need, Rose?"

"Um... A check up?" I asked awkwardly. My hand strayed to my abdomen and her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Don't tell me," she nearly gasped. "How far?"

"About... Nineteen weeks. "

"Who knows?" she asked as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

"Remus, Sirius, Shannon, Minerva... Mad-Eye'll probably find out with that eye of his. I think it's a pretty well kept secret," I admitted. Poppy studied me appraisingly before gently pushing me towards the nearest bed.

"You know that Dumbledore will need to know," she said matter-of-factly.

Of course I knew that. Thanks to the baby's timing, he or she would be born about a month after the second task. The timing could be worse, of course. It's not like he or she was expected the day of the third task.

Leaving that thought, Poppy began casting diagnostic spells, briskly waving her wand towards me. She analyzed the information as she got it before looking at me carefully.

"Well... You seem to be perfectly healthy. From what I see, your timeline is pretty accurate. I'd say late March for the due date... Do you want to know the gender?" she asked calmly. I bit my lip before nodding. "Judging from the information the diagnostics gave me, it's a girl."

I grinned and Poppy looked at me strangely.

"Sirius wants to be godfather. I think he was expecting a boy," I divulged. Poppy's eyes filled with mischief and she smiled with me. "Am I free to go?"

"Yes, but I want you back here in two weeks. There's going to be a lot of magic floating around here in the next few months and, to be honest, I'm not sure how or even if it'll affect you and the baby," Poppy said, her eyes growing concerned. I smiled, forcing myself to shrug it off.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"I hope so, Rose. I hope so."

Her voice drifted off as I left the hospital wing, waving goodbye.

* * *

A/N:

THAT IS WHY I NEEDED TO ADD THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH!

IT'S A GIRL!

ROSIE'S HAVING A GIRL!

HARRY'S GONNA HAVE A LITTLE COUSIN!

I am still settling on a name, so I'll let you vote on it! I'm open to suggestions also, so please PM me if you think you've got something good :)

The names are as follows:

Lilian Jean (nicknamed Lily, of course)

Elizabeth Rose (will be nicknamed Lizzy if chosen)

Alicia Re (nicknamed Alice or just Re. Not sure yet.)

Siri (middle name undecided, rather obvious namesake)

Also, I'm not sure who to pick as godmother. I've been hovering between two people in particular but I'm not sure who I like more as it will definitely affect things. But it'll be a nice twist, either way.

If you want to choose a name or put in a possible recommendation for godmother, because I am open to ideas and it is not set in stone, please PM me or leave a review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And when I say that, I mean- wait for it... wait... UPDATES!

^.^ Susie ^.^

And yes, Alicia Re is a shoutout to my fellow bandgeek Starkid, S. E. Brodie. Check her out, IF SHE EVER FEELS LIKE UPDATING ANYTHING!

(yes, you *points directly at you* You know who you are.)


	12. Chapter 12

A/N:

Sorry for the inactivity. I'd like to take a minute to thank OoOTheGoodSlytherinOoO for pm-ing me and reminding me to update. Otherwise, this probably would have taken a lot longer for me to remember.

NOT OWNING ANYTHING! Oh wait- I LIED! ROSIE IS MINE!

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and now Ron were waiting at my door after breakfast. Again, I wasn't feeling well enough to go down, but I had expected as such. Knowing I'd probably end up spending most of the day outside of the school's notice, I changed into black jeans and yet another Doctor Who shirt, this one featuring the Sixth Doctor. My love of that show bordered on obsession, but I refused intervention.

"Hey guys," I greeted. "We're actually going to be moving to another room, so don't get too comfortable."

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"Well, let's just say that the other schools can't know that I'm teaching anyone individually, so we need to work someone more... secret," I said, collecting the books I had laid aside for these lessons. "I've arranged something with Dumbledore, but I'll explain it in more detail when we get to what will be the classroom."

* * *

"... Rose, what are we doing here?" Harry asked as I led the three along the seventh floor, passing the corridor once more. I only smiled, counting the walk through as our through for the third time.

_Somewhere to learn, to practice, _I thought to myself. Hermione made a barely audible gasp and I turned to see the polished door appear in the wall.

"But that wasn't-"

"How did-"

"It just-"

I chuckled at the three's jumbled half-finished thoughts and opened the door, the three curiously following behind me.

The room was very spacious, about forty feet back and another thirty five across, the door acting as the midpoint. There were a series of worktables off to the right with drawers underneath that displayed neatly organized potions ingredients. Bookshelves lined the far wall and I was pleased to recognize many of the titles. The wall to the left was claimed almost entirely by a large mirror, so that duelist could watch what they were doing. Spell dummies were lined up neatly, one every ten feet, along the mirrored wall.

I was glad to see that the room was faintly reminiscent of my office. The floor carpeted with the same royal blue carpet with the exception of a rectangle of wood alongside the mirrored wall. The walls, when they weren't obstructed by something else, were painted a bright red and edged with gold. The large table pushed towards the far wall, near the books, possessed a glass center framed by ebony, just like the desk in my own rooms. There was a similar desk placed closer to the mirrored wall

"Where are we?"

"This," I said, gesturing around, "will be your classroom for the next few months, if you choose to accept my proposal."

"Which is...?" Ron asked, still gaping at the room. Obeying my wishes, the room crafted a number of squashy armchairs near to the door and I grinned, walking towards them. I sat, gesturing for the students to join me.

"Dumbledore is allowing me to privately teach Harry, but I convinced him to allow me to extend that offer to you two," I said, nodding at Ron and Hermione. "Basically, it's up to me to make sure that Harry can handle the Tournament well enough to survive. I have until November 24th to make get him up to speed."

"Then why are we here? Wouldn't Ron and I just get in the way?" Hermione asked, frowning. I shook my head.

"I don't think you'd slow anything down. If anything, some support would be appreciated. The way I see it, if this had happened in my years here, the Marauders would've stuck together. You guys might not be notorious pranksters, but I have a feeling you'd want that opportunity. In any case, it's a way to get away from Snape," I grinned.

Ron and Harry grinned back unreservedly, Hermione smiling gently beside them.

"Alright, Harry and Hermione, I've already seen what you know so far, so you can go to the back and collect your books. They should all be there. Ron, I don't know where you are so far, so it's your turn to show me," I said, smiling.

As Ron displayed his abilities, I noted just how far behind he was in his studies. It was clear that he didn't put much effort into the mechanics of each spell, only caring about the result. It weakened his spells on a fundamental basis. His work ethic was sloppy at best and he portrayed a short attention span.

"Alright, go get your books and sit down. I'll be with you in a minute," I said. Ron obeyed and I walked towards the desk that was clearly mine. I glanced around at the papers, checking to see if the Room had decided that anything was worth getting to me. Apparently not.

"Alright, this is how we're going to do this. Unfortunately," _because Crouch is still on the loose,_ I add mentally, "we won't be able to really get started until after winter break."

"But that's after the first task," Hermione said worriedly. I nodded.

"It is. That's why I'm going to ask that you, Harry, come here at least twice a week for lessons. There isn't any time in my schedule to do anything else. Mad-Eye's going to be out of class on Ministry business, and Dumbledore needs me to teach full-time."

Not sensing anything outwardly wrong, the teenage trio nodded and I stood from my chair, stretching my arms.

"Now then, Harry, the Weighing of the Wands ceremony is coming up soon. That means the Daily Prophet is sending in their best. Meaning I have to get you ready to deal with the worst gossip to come out of Hogwarts- Rita Skeeter."

* * *

While Harry was being fetched from Potions, I sat down by myself, trying to distract myself from the awkward silence. Eventually I content to study Rita Skeeter, trying to determine which part of her outfit was the most ridiculous. By the time Harry knocked on the door, there was a tie between the frilly pink hat that was carefully balanced over her curls and the crocodile handbag being stabbed into by her crimson claws.

"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come... nothing to worry about, it's just the-"

"I've already explained the ceremony to him, Ludo," I yawned. Harry whirled around to me and, judging by the small on his face, was reassured by my presence. That was, after all, my objective. At the moment, I was here as godmother and aunt first, teacher second.

"Ah, of course," Ludo nodded a bit distantly. "After the ceremony, they'll be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter. She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet."

Harry nodded almost anxiously, tipped off to Rita's nature by yours' truly.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" Rita said to Ludo, her eyes never leaving Harry's forehead. My mouth hardened into a frown.

"Certainly!"

"I hardly think that's necessary, Rita," I said, my voice intentionally cold. "Besides, I'm sure you'll have a few minutes after the ceremony to interview the champions."

"As long as the readers get what they want," she said, looking at me from above her bejeweled glasses. She may have been trying for a reassuring smile, but I felt as if I was being appraised more than anything else. "Rose Lupin, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I nodded before smiling. "I'm surprised you know my name. In your article supporting Dolores Umbridge's anti-werewolf legislation, I was only referred to as a- what was it?"

"A wereloving ninny, I believe," Dumbledore stated as he entered the room, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, Dumbledore! How are you? I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"

"Enchantingly nasty," Dumbledore said humorously. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat."

"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, and that many wizards on the street-"

"I will be delighted to hear your reasoning, Rita, but I'm afraid that we will have to discuss the matter later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to start, and it cannot take place if we are occupied."

The champions were seated as the judges- Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, Crouch, Ludo, and Dumbledore- took their places at a separate table. Ollivander stepped forward from the window when Dumbledore gestured to him.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander? He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are good condition before the tournament."

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first?" Ollivander asked, holding his hand out towards the French girl. She stood and swept towards him gracefully, placing her wand in his care. He twirled it between his long fingers as if it were a baton and the instrument released a flurry of pink and gold sparks. Apparently satisfied, he held it close to his face to examine it's surface for faults.

"Yes... nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing... dear me..." he drifted off, murmuring to himself. Fleur nodded.

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," she confirmed. "One of my grandmuzzer's."

"Yes," Ollivander said, breaking out of a weak trance. "Yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands... However, to each his own, and if this suits you..."

Ollivander examined the wood's surface once more before raising it up.

"Orchideous," he muttered. A bunch of flowers burst from the tip of the wand and he smiled, passing Fleur both the wand and the flowers. "Very well, very well. It's in fine working order... Mr. Diggory, you next."

Cedric obliged, and Ollivander seemed happy to hold the familiar wand.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" he said with much more enthusiasm. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches... ash... pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," Cedric grinned proudly. I noticed Harry glance down at his own wand and smiled as he moved to wipe it down with his robes. I brushed his hand with my own, stopping him.

Ollivander sent a stream of smoke rings from the tip of Cedric's wand and gave his approval of the wand before calling Krum up to the stand.

Krum scowled but obeyed, thrusting the tool towards the wand maker before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Hmmm," Ollivander said thoughtfully. "This is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I... however..."

He continued to murmur to himself as he studied the wand.

"Hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" Ollivander asked towards Krum, who nodded once. "Rather thicker than one usually sees... quite rigid... ten and a quarter inches... Avis!"

A flurry of small yellow birds flew from the end of the wand and out towards the open window, disappearing into the sunlight.

"Good," Ollivander nodded, passing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves... Mr. Potter."

I was glad of the fact that Ollivander had not divulged the information that Voldemort's wand and Harry's wand were brothers, even if he spent a good deal longer examining Harry's wand.

"Perfect condition," Ollivander declared after charming a fountain of wine out of the wand tip. Harry moved to sit down but I stopped him.

"Harry, your back up," I reminded him. He jumped slightly, as if he had completely forgotten. The judges, Karkaroff especially, sat up a little straighter when Harry pulled the second wand from the holster under his pant leg and passed it to Ollivander. He took it curiously.

"Eleven inches... Mahogany... dragon heartstring... pliable," Ollivander reported, studying the wand. "This was one of mine too... I remember selling this wand... To your father."

Harry nodded and Rita Skeeter's acid green quill scribbled furiously against the parchment. Ollivander studied the wand for a few more minutes before finally conjuring a small ball of fire and directing it through the air.

"Excellent condition, considering everything it's been through," Ollivander said, passing the wand back to Harry. Harry wasted no time in placing the wand back in the holster and returning to his seat.

"Thank you all. You may go back to your lessons now- or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" Bagman shouted excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er- yes, let's do those first... And then perhaps some individual shots," Rita said quietly, her eyes back on Harry.

After sparing Harry a grin, I escaped the room, knowing that this bunch would take hours to take half-decent photographs.

A/N:

Hope you liked the chapter!

...

What? You didn't?

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Too short?

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That's a good point... Alright! I'll update more than once today!

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Talking to myself? What are you talking about?

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I don't need a psychiatrist, why?

^.^ Susie ^.^


	13. Chapter 13

A/N:

This chapter is shorter, I'll give you that one!

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NO, I'M NOT CRAZY!... WHY IS CAPS LOCK ON? WHYYYYYY?

OH, YEAH. IT'S BECAUSE I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!

Can't believe I forgot this: WARNING, THIS IS THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE DAY. PLEASE BACK IT UP ONE AND GO FROM THERE! THANKS!

...

I LIKE CAPS LOCK...

* * *

Harry was making huge progress in his studies, but it was clear to me that his mood was not helped by Rita's article. Instead of being about the Triwizard- Quadwizard?- Tournament, Rita had decided to turn the article into a fanciful if outrageous bibliography on Harry. My personal favorite was the part where I had bravely dueled Bellatrix Lestrange to get James' wand from her, seeing as she had somehow gotten it, so that I could pass it on to Harry, who received it tearfully.

It was time for a distraction, and I knew what would do the trick.

It was time for a trip to Hogsmeade. Luckily, one was coming up, on the Saturday before the first task. Perfect timing.

"Why couldn't we just stay in the castle? I have so much to catch up on," Harry complained. I rolled my eyes as I led the trio away from the more popular parts of town.

"You'll be glad you did," was all I said as I led the three to the Shrieking Shack.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Ron asked confusedly. I ignored the question and led the teenagers down the snowy path. When we were just outside the door, I pushed against the door. It creaked open, but I was not discouraged.

"Come on, then," I said, hurrying the three inside. As soon as the door was closed, a blast of warm air hit us. The Shrieking Shack had been modified to be more livable. The furniture was no longer in pieces just as the curtains, rugs, and upholstery weren't in tatters. It had been thoroughly dusted and cleaned. A roaring fire was burning brightly in the hearth, warming and illuminating the room with an orangey glow. I turned to see someone turn into the room from a hallway. I smiled when I saw who it was, striding to hug them.

"I missed you," I murmured.

Remus chuckled in my ear, pulling me close before looking at the three teenagers.

"Remus," Harry said in surprise. The surprise was welcome, as evidenced by the greeting smile on her face. "What are you doing here again?"

"Well, we couldn't miss the first task," Sirius grinned, appearing behind Remus. Harry grinned and went to his godfather, who hugged him. "How are you?"

"Alright-"

"Aside from the madman out to kill you," I reminded him. Harry's smile faded slightly and I crossed my arms. "Moody and I are following some leads into that."

"All you've been doing is talking. I'm the one doing all the work," Shannon grumbled as she entered the room.

"Oh hush, you," I grinned at her. "You're just lucky I have so many contacts. Honestly, I can see why Scrimgeour wanted me in the Office so badly."

"It's good to see you too, Rosie," she teased. I narrowed my eyes dangerously but a grin grew on my lips.

"You too, Shannanigans."

Shannon grimaced as Sirius brightened.

"I had forgotten about that," he said warmly. "You know what else I had forgotten? Rosebud!"

"Anyway," I interrupted, "I got permission for the three of you to watch the tasks with the teachers. Dumbledore thought it was best to have limited contact with the students."

"Why? 'Cause I'm a former murderer and Moony's a werewolf?" Sirius asked cheekily. I threw him a withering glance and sighed.

"No, I think he's afraid you'll teach everyone how to sneak out of the castle. Dumbledore knows neither of you are dangerous, but he also doesn't want another generation of Marauders."

"Why not? We were _great_ students," Sirius said, his eyes wide and innocent. Remus sighed tiredly.

"Maybe Remus was, but I doubt the rest of us were good influences."

"Is that so, Miss Outstanding?" Sirius said, a gleam of humor in his eyes. I stared levelly at him until he fidgeted.

"Now that Sirius has stopped talking, on to what I brought the three of you here for," I said, looking back at the trio of teenagers.

"There was another reason?" Harry asked confusedly. I nodded.

"The first task. Now, as a teacher, I'm barely allowed to talk about it with you. But, since I'd rather not have you ignorant of the task, I've told _Remus_ what the task is, so he'll be able to talk to you."

"But that's-" Hermione began, her voice scandalized. I raised an eyebrow and she fell silent.

"I can guarantee that Madame Maxine will get the details out of Hagrid and that Karkaroff will weasel it out of someone if he can't figure it out on his own."

"And Cedric?" Harry asked.

"I've been ordered to tell him as well," Remus said, chuckling under his breath. I flashed him a smile.

"No, Moony!" Sirius lamented. "You've turned to the dark side!"

"Yes, the dark side. Also known as marriage," Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius' eyes rose to the ceiling, darkened with a terrible sadness.

"Shut up, Sirius," I said, crossing my hands over my chest. "... Well, I suppose I could make Harry godfather instead."

Sirius' eyes shot to me, wide with shock.

"You wouldn't dare," he breathed. Harry and Ron laughed before freezing.

"Wait- What?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the two boys. Neither of them moved, their eyes glued to my face.

"Honestly," she laughed. She grinned at me. "When is the baby due, anyway?"

"Yeah, when do I get to see _my_ godchild?" Sirius said, looking smug over Harry. I shared a glance with Remus before sighing.

"God, you need to grow up, Padfoot," I murmured. He looked hurt and pouted. "Anyway, Hermione, Poppy said late March."

"Boy or girl?" she asked excitedly. I smiled gently at her and Remus wound an arm around my waist.

"If I tell you, I'll have to deal with Sirius trying to pick names for the next five months," I chuckled. Hermione dimmed slightly and I smiled. "How about this? I tell you back at the castle, where there's no chance Sirius will be listening in because I'll have the Marauder's map and if he gets anywhere within four corridors of me, I'll stop talking." My voice rose as my eyes darted to Sirius, whose victorious grin deflated at once.

"Deal," Hermione said, her eyes dancing with laughter. I grinned over her to Sirius, who was being consoled/made fun of by Shannon and Remus. Well, Shannon was trying to console him. Remus was laughing at his old friend.

* * *

A/N:

Rosebud was an old nickname for Rose, since she didn't like Rosie. Sirius comes up with it during 'A Wereloving Ninny,' the spin-off type story that I posted a while back.

Anyway, hoped you liked it!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	14. Chapter 14

A/N:

... So...

I did mean to update weeks and weeks ago. I've totally been dangling this chapter in front of S. E. Brodie for a ridiculous amount of time. It's only fair, though, considering she's promising me a heart-breaking Jily fic which I have not seen yet.

ANYWHOO, NEW CHAPTER!

I don't own Harry Potter but Rosie is my creation!

* * *

November 24th came all too soon. Once again, I sat with the Gryffindor table, blatantly ignoring Minerva's wishes that I sit beside her, where she could monitor my behavior. After all, Harry was half-way to a panic attack. Luckily, I always kept a number of potions on me at all times. One of those potions being a calming draught.

"You look terrible," I commented, sitting beside Harry once Ron had shifted down, respecting that Harry needed some space. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"I think so," Harry responded, his voice heavy with exhaustion and stress. He picked around at his plate aimlessly, stabbing into his eggs mercilessly. I snatched his goblet, carefully pouring half of the calming drought into the goblet. I swirled the liquid around in the goblet before forcing it into Harry's hand.

"Drink up," I ordered. He obeyed, his eyes half-closed. He obeyed and a relaxed half-smile crossed his face. I stole the goblet out of his hand and pushed another flask into his hand. "Drink it. All of it."

"What is it?" Hermione asked concernedly, looking at the container in her friend's hands. I turned to her and smiled.

"Don't worry, I've already checked with the tournament regulations. It's nothing the judges can take points off for. Just a simple pepper-up potion," I reassured her. Looking at the flask for another second, Harry tilted the container and downed it in one go. He shuddered slightly as the potion took effect. He looked up at me, his eyes much clearer and more alert.

"Thanks, Rose," he smiled. "Now all I have to do is-"

"Fight a dragon?" Ron interrupted, raising an eyebrow. Harry shot him a withering glance.

"Well, at least you've got a plan, Harry," Hermione said, her eyes still worried. She paused, looking up at him. "You _do_ have plan, don't you?"

Harry only grinned.

I bit back a groan. I knew that grin. That was a James Potter trademark and it could only mean two things: Harry didn't have a plan, or he did and it was positively brilliant. And he wasn't going to say anything either way.

* * *

"I think my hand is bleeding," Remus said in a concerned voice. He held his hand up for me to see and, clear enough, were four crescent shaped cuts outlined in red. I looked at his hand guiltily, knowing that they matched each of my fingernails exactly.

"Sorry," I murmured apologetically.

"God, if your hormones are like this _now_, I'm scared of what you'll do at the second task," Sirius shuddered. I turned to glare at him, stopping in my tracks and forcing the others to stop.

"I can't control it!" I snapped. A pout crossed his face and my eyes welled with tears. "I hate being pregnant," I growled quietly. Remus only smiled gently as he stepped closer to me, cupping my face in his hands and wiping away an escaping tear with his thumb.

"It's alright, love," he said quietly. I smiled up at him as Sirius gagged in the background.

"You two are disgusting," Shannon said in a low voice. There was a smile on her face though so I paid her no attention as my lips found Remus'.

"Rosie, there are kids here," Sirius groaned. "C'mon, Moony! Come back to me, buddy! Shouldn't we go congratulate my godson for kicking a _Horntail's_ ass?"

We parted and Remus looked at Sirius, an amused light in his eyes.

"You're right," I nodded at Sirius. A shocked look crossed his features and he opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "_For once._"

"You know, Rose, sometimes words hurt more than- Ouch!"

Sirius held his reddening arm sadly and Remus pulled me towards the first aid tent before Sirius could talk his way into any more injuries. Someone at the door attempted to stop us but faltered at my gaze which, according to Sirius, was a bloody knife short of murderous. Needless to say, he was nursing another bruise shortly.

"Harry!" I exclaimed, catching sight of Poppy cleaning his shoulder wound with a dark purple liquid that I somehow recognized as Beazlebhug's Infecti-not. I've used it before. It was easy to make and cleaned out even the worst of injuries.

"Now, just sit quietly for a minute- _sit!_ And then you can go and get your score," Poppy ordered, healing the cut with a poke of her wand. She turned and saw the four of us standing at the entrance to the section of the tent that was dedicated to the youngest champion. She nodded at me before bustling away, asking Cedric about his own burns.

"Absolutely brilliant, Harry," Sirius beamed. Shannon nodded in agreement. Remus smiled as well and Harry's eyes turned to me, looking for some sort of congratulations or approval.

"That was reckless and dangerous," I said seriously. Harry's grin faltered somewhat before I smiled. His returning smile was hesitant until I pulled him into a hug. "And your parents would be so proud of you."

"Really?" he asked in a quiet voice. Sirius laughed behind me.

"No, Lily would have smacked you before making sure you're alright," he said. I could hear the smirk in his voice. I straightened slightly.

"Remus?" I called. I grinned when Sirius yelped in pain and Shannon laughed. "Thank you, sweetie."

"My pleasure," he chuckled. "Now, I think we should go get Harry's score, if we're all up to it."

Harry jumped out of the cot and brushed a thin layer of dirt from the front of his robes just as two very familiar voices cried out behind us.

"Harry!" Hermione squeaked, pushing her way through the ten.

"That was absolutely brilliant, mate!" Ron roared, though he was very pale as he followed Hermione through.

"Hey, guys," Harry smiled back. Ron stopped a few steps away from Harry, his eyes wide.

"God, I was such a prat," he said, shaking his head. "Whoever put your name in that goblet was definitely trying to do you in!"

"It's alright," Harry shrugged. "That was weeks ago."

"But I-"

"Forget it," Harry insisted.

"No. I should've-"

"_Forget it_."

The two grinned at each other.

Hermione burst into tears and I raised an eyebrow. _I thought _I_ was supposed to be the hormonal one._

"There's nothing to cry about," Harry told her, clearly caught off-guard by her surprising outburst.

"You two are so _stupid_!" she shouted suddenly, tears still streaming down her face. Then, before either of the boys could react, she gave each a tight hug before fleeing the room, growling to anyone who got within four feet of her.

"Barking mad," Ron said, shaking his head.

"I'll go talk to her," I offered. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked. I nodded before kissing him goodbye and hurrying out of the tent, following Hermione out.

Unfortunately, Hermione managed to hide herself very well. Even by following the confused looks that were left in her path, the crowd had soon dissipated too much for her to be found. I gave up after a while, heading back to the castle. If she was still upset, she'd probably come to talk to me on her own.

* * *

A/N:

Eep... That was short, don't you think? I'll update again as soon as I can but, knowing my life right now, that won't be until Wednesday. On the bright side, that gives you peoples plenty of time to write a review or tell me just how much they missed having me in their lives!

...

Okay, I'll probably get more comments about the story than anything personally relevant seeing as I don't often talk to people I meet online (with the exception of PMs and chain reviews, of course) BUT STILL! I looovvvveee reviews! The only thing I love more than reviews is... *thinking* ... *thinking harder* ... *steam pouring out of my ears* ... Maybe oxygen. And breathing. Those are pretty important. Ooh, no! Waterbreaks during marching band practice! That is a truly religious experience!

With that said, I STILL LOVE REVIEWS! So feed my addiction and write something!

^.^ Susie ^.^


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